School headmaster held for sexually abusing kids

Coonoor all women police arrested the head master of a government aided primary school on charges of sexually abusing several children of the institution. The school head, identified as D. Appusamy (48), landed in the police net following a complaint from the parents of two migrant children girls aged 10 years and eight years. 

Police said that 39 children were on the rolls of the school located at Meyilur near Kotakal in Coonoor. Most of the students were wards of tea estate workers, who were mostly migrant labourers from the eastern state of Jharkhand. According to the police, the misdeeds of the headmaster came to light after children complained to their parents about the behaviour of Appusamy. Some of the kids reportedly refused to go to school. 

Angered by the headmaster’s harassment of the kids, the parents took the issue to the notice of the office of the District Child Protection Officer and an officer from the department visited the school and conducted an inquiry into the allegations. After inquiring with the affected children and their parents, the officer, R Peeba, lodged a complaint with the Coonoor all women police about the abuse of children and the headmaster. 

Cases were registered against the head master under sections 7 (non penetrative sexual assault by touching the victim), 8 (punishment for sexual assault) and 10 (punishment for aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Subsequently, the headmaster Appusamy was arrested and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody.