NGO demands arrest of teacher for abusing two Dalit girls at school

It also urges the State government to give a compensation of ₹1.20 lakh each to the two students; a fact-finding team visits their village

Evidence, a Madurai-based non-governmental organisation working for the Dalits’ welfare, has urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately give a compensation of ₹1.20 lakh each to two girl students who were allegedly abused by their Maths teacher by their caste name at a government-aided school in Chinnalapatti in Dindigul district.

Evidence executive director A. Kathir told reporters here on Saturday that a fact-finding team, headed by him, visited Thoppampatti village, from where the girl hailed, on Friday.

Following a complaint from the mother of one of the girls, Chinnalapatti police registered a case. The complainant said Maths teacher Premalatha abused the two girls by their caste name and also victimised them in front of other students on multiple occasions. Unable to bear the humiliation, the girls went to the school toilet and consumed toilet cleaner two days ago.

When they fainted, the school management rushed them to hospital. As the news spread, people from Thoppampatti staged a demonstration in front of Chinnalapatti police station on Thursday, demanding the arrest of the teacher. Following an assurance that stern action would be taken against the accused after investigation, the demonstrators dispersed.

While Superintendent of Police V. Baskaran visited the spot and conducted inquiries, Revenue Department officials questioned the school headmistress and other teachers in the presence of School Education Department officials.

Subsequently, Chinnalapatti police registered cases against the headmistress and four teachers of the school under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, and sections of the IPC on Friday.

The fact-finding team came to know that the Maths teacher had abused the two students repeatedly. The State government should ban caste or community names in educational institutions, Mr. Kathir said.