HC orders compensation to victims of sexual abuse by H.M

Madurai, Mar 8: Madras High Court Bench here has ordered Rs 1.2 lakh compensation each to girl students of a government school who were sexually abused allegedly by their headmaster and directed the District Superintendent of Police to entrust the probe in the case to a woman DSP and file the final report within two months.

Disposing of two petitions filed by the parents the victims of the school at Pothumbu in the district, Justice K Chandru directed the District Collector to give Rs 1.2 lakh each to the girls, most of whom are Dalits, without waiting for the trial process to be completed.

Headmaster M Arogiasamy (54) was alleged to have sexually abused several girls studying from fifth to 10th standards for several months. A case was registered against him in July last year and he surrendered to police almost a month later amid protests by various women’s organisation demanding action.

Noting that three inquiry reports, including one by the rural police, gave different number of victims, the court directed the collector to ascertain the veracity of the complaints enabling disbursal of compensation.

Directing the SP to personally monitor the progress of the case by calling for fortnightly reports from the investigating officer, the court also asked him to file the final inquiry report within two months. The investigating officer must have enough sensitivity while examining the children.

The Judge directed the trial court not to insist the children to be brought repeatedly and also to prevent the accused or the counsel from cross examining them directly.

He ordered that Arogiasamy be kept under suspension till the completion of the criminal trial and directed the Police not to allow him into Pothumbu village till a final report is filed before the appropriate criminal court.

PTI