Chennai, Feb 19 A 29-year-old teacher, employed at a private school in Tamil Nadu's Palayamkottai, has been arrested on the charges of sexually harassing minor girl students.
The accused, identified as Jobin Solomon, had been working at the institution for the past three years.
He was handling mathematics classes for students in Classes 9, 10 and 11.
The case came to light after complaints surfaced regarding his alleged inappropriate conduct toward girl students both inside and outside the classroom.
According to police sources, several students reported that the teacher behaved inappropriately during classroom sessions.
The complaints indicated that his conduct made students uncomfortable over a sustained period.
It was further alleged that he had accessed the phone numbers of girl students through an official academic WhatsApp group created for school-related communication.
Investigators said the accused allegedly used the contact details to send inappropriate messages to students, particularly during late-night hours.
The nature of the messages reportedly raised serious concern among parents and school authorities once the issue came to their attention.
Following preliminary internal verification, the school management lodged a formal complaint at the All Women Police Station in Palayamkottai.
Acting on the complaint, the police initiated an inquiry and recorded statements from students and relevant witnesses.
Police officials stated that the investigation revealed the alleged harassment had been ongoing for more than three months.
Based on the findings, a case was registered against Solomon under relevant sections of the POCSO Act, which deals with sexual offences against minors.
He was subsequently arrested and produced before a judicial magistrate.
The court remanded him to judicial custody pending further investigation.
Police officials reiterated that offences under the POCSO Act are treated with utmost seriousness and urged parents and students to report any inappropriate behaviour without fear.
Further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the allegations and whether additional victims may be involved.
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