Autorickshaw driver arrested for sexually harassing girl

Madurai: A 25-year-old autorickshaw driver was arrested by the Madurai city police on Tuesday for sexually harassing a Class X girl student repeatedly and also physically assaulting her with a stone. According to the police, the victim, a 16-year-old girl studying Class X, was being sexually harassed for the past six months by M Muthuramalingam, 25, of Keeraithurai. He had repeatedly told her he was in love with her but the girl had refused his advances. Recently, the accused waylaid the girl and proposed to marry her. When she refused, Muthuramalingam physically assaulted the girl with a stone and threatened her.Based on the girl’s mother’s complaint, a case was registered at the all women police station, Town, under sections 341, 323, and 506 (i) of the IPC and sections 11 (l), 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Police arrested the accused.Meanwhile, a 39-year-old man was sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment (RI) by a fast track mahila court in Dindigul in a 2020 Pocso Act case. According to the police, a case was registered at the Palani AWPS against Kalimuthu, 39, of North Thathanaickenpatti in Dindigul district under sections of the Pocso Act, for sexually harassing a 12-year-old girl. He was subsequently arrested. On Wednesday, the court judge in Dindigul sentenced Kalimuthu to six years of RI and also levied a fine of 11,000.TNN