The matter came to light after two girls went missing from the home on Oct 25. The girls were later rescued, following which they disclosed their ordeal to the police
A 65-year-old man who runs a children’s home in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district has been arrested on charges of sexually harassing minor children, Aladi police said. The accused, identified as Jesudass Raja, also serves as the correspondent of a private school at Virudachalam in the district.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Sub-Inspector Paranthaman, attached to Aladi police station, said Raja had lodged a complaint at the station on October 25 claiming that two children from the home, studying in Class X and XI, had gone missing earlier that day. Based on the complaint, the officials carried out an inquiry. Within a day, the police rescued one of the children from Olaiyur near Tiruchirapalli and the other from near Poonamalle in Chennai.
The SI said since the case involved children, the girls were handed over to the all-women police station (AWPS) in Virudachalam which also conducted further probe in the case. The girls revealed that Raja had been sexually harassing them besides another girl, the police said. All three later recorded their statements before a judicial magistrate in Virudhachalam.
Sub-inspector Potha at the AWPS said, “Jesudass Raja told the girls to take bath in an open place even though their place has bathroom facilities. The girls said he even used to watch them taking bath from his place.”
Based on the magistrate’s directions, the police booked Raja under sections 11 (sexual harassment) and 12 (punishment for sexual harassment) of the Pocso Act, SI Paranthaman added. Raja was arrested on Wednesday.
The accused is a diabetic and had recently undergone heart surgery due to which he has been admitted to the Government Hospital in Cuddalore. The police said he will be remanded after they receive a fitness certificate from the hospital.
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