Four staff members of Government College in Valparai arrested for sexual harassment

Four temporary teachers of the Government Arts and Science College in Valparai in Coimbatore district were arrested late Saturday on charges of sexually assaulting at least six girls.

Police said assistant professors S. Satheeshkumar (39) and M. Muraliraj (33) of the Commerce Department, laboratory technician Anbarasu (37) and course instructor N. Rajapandi (35) were arrested based on a complaint by district social worker R. Ambika.

The arrested are accused of sending inappropriate messages to the girls through WhatsApp and otherwise harassing them during classes and in the lab. The girls had sent a petition to the State Women's Commission, based on which the District Social Welfare Officer was directed to conduct an inquiry, police added.

They further said that Ms. Ambika and V. Kalaiselvi, Regional Director of Higher Education, Coimbatore, conducted an investigation on the campus on Friday. The students narrated their ordeal to the officials, following which Ms. Ambika lodged a complaint with the police.

The four persons were booked under Section 75 (1) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 4 (punishment for harassment of women) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act. A team led by Inspector M. Menega (Head of AWPS, Valparai) arrested them.

They were brought before a judge on Sunday and taken into custody.