The headmaster of a government school in Pennalurpettai, Tiruvallur is missing after allegedly sexually abusing girl students inside the school premises. The Tiruvallur police have filed an FIR against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and are on the lookout for him.
The school, which is located within the Uthukottai police station limits, has around 300 students studying in classes 6 to 10. The incident came to light after the victim’s family lodged a police complaint at the Pennalurpettai police station on Saturday.
According to news reports, the victim approached a teacher with a complaint against the headmaster a few weeks ago. After the teacher told the student to tell her parents about the incident, the student reportedly told her mother that she wanted to drop out of the school due to the headmaster’s behaviour.
A similar complaint was also received by the Child helpline 1098, following which the District Child Protection unit conducted a check at the school. In the school’s suggestion box, the officials found a complaint against the headmaster, signed by all the students of the school, said news reports. The letter reportedly stated that the headmaster misbehaved with the girls when they arranged notebooks in the almirah where he was seated. The headmaster did not have a separate cabin and all that separated his seating area from the classroom were a few almirahs, reads the letter.
Though only one student has come forward to file a police complaint, she might not be the only victim in the school, stated some reports. Reports also said that the man was not a first-time offender. DT Next reported that the same man was transferred to the Pennalurpettai school, after he had similar complaints against him in a school in Vellore. However, the officials from School Education department told The Hindu that this was the first complaint against the headmaster and that he was transferred to the Pennalurpettai school on promotion two years ago.
The School Education department suspended the headmaster on Friday after an inquiry and the man is absconding since then.