Kodai school official in sex abuse case surrenders

The correspondent of the famous Kodaikanal Public School in Tamil Nadu, who is accused of sexually harassing a girl student, surrendered before a court in Virudhunagar district on Friday afternoon, hours after his daughter and school principal was arrested for allegedly abetting the crime.


M L Bright, 73, had gone into hiding in the middle of last month after the 14-year-old Bhutanese girl lodged a complaint with the police through her guardian. A special team was formed to nab him. He had approached the Madurai bench of the Madras high court for anticipatory bail, but the court directed the Dindigul district superintendent of police to make enquiries with girl students in the school and submit a report.
On Friday morning, police arrested principal Sheeba Paul and produced her before a magistrate, who remanded her in judicial custody. Later, in the afternoon, Bright surrendered before the Srivilliputtur court in Virudhunagar district and was remanded him in judicial custody for 15 days. Bright, who will be produced in the Kodaikanal court on July 16, was lodged in the Srivilliputtur sub jail, police said.
A case has been registered against Bright under section 354 (outraging modesty of a woman by assault or use of criminal force) and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act,1998.
Superintendent of police M S Muthuswamy said inquiries revealed that the principal had made the children communicate with the absconding correspondent, who had allegedly threatened them against speaking about the incident. Paul herself had also allegedly warned the students against speaking ill of Bright, the SP said. Hence, he ordered the principal's arrest late on Thursday night, Muthusamy told The Times of India.
In her complaint, the girl had said she and 17 other students were made to stay in Bright's living quarters in the school premises. She alleged that he had asked her to come to his bedroom in her nightdress. The girl also said he had molested her when she was recouping in the sick room of the school.
Muthusamy said medical examination was conducted on 10 students who were present on the campus on Thursday and that he would submit a detailed report in court on July 5, when the case relating to Bright's bail petition would come up for hearing. Also, guardians and parents of six other students, who returned home following media reports, have also been asked to produce their wards for conducting enquiries.