Bid to lay siege to Dhalavaipuram police station demanding arrest of POCSO Act case accused

Protesters demand arrest of man accused of sexually harassing minor girl, leading to police action and arrests.

Members of All India Democratic Women’s Association, Democratic Youth Federation of India and Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front laid a siege to Dhalavaipuram police station on Friday, pressing for the arrest of a man accused of sexually harassing a minor girl.

The police arrested around40 persons, including women.

TNUEF Virudhunagar district secretary K. Murugan said that the girl studying Class V, had gone to the shop of one Selvam for hiring bicycle on December 8. However, the girl had reportedly returned home crying and complained that the shop owner had misbehaved with her.

Based on the complaint of the mother, All Women Police Station-Rajapalayam registered a case against Selvam under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

However, the protesters said that the police had neither arrested the accused nor the provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had been invoked against the accused as the victim belonged to a Scheduled Caste.

However, a senior police officer said that since the woman and the child were making contradictory statements about the incident, the police were waiting for the girl to be produced before the Magistrate and get statements before taking further action.

AIDWA State secretary S. Lakshmi; district functionaries S. Deivanai and N. Umamaheswari; Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader B. Mariappan; and DYFI functionary Parmeswaran were among those who took part in the protest.