Abuse: Acquittal of 2 teachers quashed

Justice P Velmurugan on hearing both sides based on an appeal moved by one of the victim’s parent and going through various confession statements, held that the sexual harassment charges against both the teachers have been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Also, expressing surprise that the Mahila Court had acquitted them based on lack of evidence, the judge held that as many as four students have been affected by the accused teachers. He also directed the police to produce them before the court on February 25 for pronouncing sentence.

As per the case, between 2012 and 2013, the accused —G Nagaraj and G Pugazhendi —working as Chemistry and Physics teachers in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Chengalpattu, sexually harassed girl students leading to eight of them lodging complaints that the teachers exploited them by holding their marks to ransom.

Both the accused were charged for offences under the IPC provisions and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

However, at the end of the trial, Mahila Court judge acquitted the two teachers from all the charges citing lack of evidence and that the complaint against them was made with ulterior motives.