Coimbatore Student Suicide: Principal Booked Under POCSO Act, Teacher's Chat Shows Attempt To Cover Up

The police registered a case and booked the principal Meera Jackson, who is on the run, on Saturday after a widespread protest to arrest the headmistress.

A representative image of a survivor of sexual abuse

Chennai: The RS Puram All-Woman police booked the principal of Chinmaya Vidyalaya school in Coimbatore under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for failing to report sexual abuse by a teacher of their to the police. The police already arrested the teacher Mithun Chakravarthy on Friday after a Class 12 student, who was allegedly sexually abused by the teacher, took her life at her home on Thursday. 

The police registered a case and booked the principal Meera Jackson, who is on the run, on Saturday after a widespread protest by the student and political organisations in Coimbatore to arrest the headmistress. The protesters were also agitated since the principal not only covered up the incident but told the student not to tell her parents, said a report on ABP Nadu.

The police have also formed two special teams to nab the accused. 

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also reacted to the incident and said, "I am saddened by the demise of a Coimbatore student. The cruel perversion of some human beasts has taken away her life. School administration should take action to ensure that no sexual violence takes place. Let's arrest the culprits and make them stand before the law. Let's us ensure the safety of women!"

Meanwhile, according to a report on ABP Nadu, chats between the student and the teacher Mithun Chakravarthy over the issue were included by the police in the case. In screenshots of the chat, the girl told Mithun that instead of accepting his mistake and apologizing to her he has instead blamed her. However, she requested him to leave the school and said that it will be the greatest help for her since she is unable to attend the classes because of him. However, the teacher had replied that there are no recruitments going on currently and that he will apply once there are vacancies. 

In the screenshot, he has also said that he has 8 years of experience as a teacher and this was the first time he ‘slipped’ and has been regretting about it without sleep for the past two months. However, in an audio recording of the call, the teacher has reportedly accused the student of hurting him.