Probe ordered into sexual abuse case

MADURAI: The state government on Sunday ordered a fresh probe into the alleged sexual abuse of girl students by a government school headmaster in Madurai. The order came a day after the police investigating the case got a dressing down from CPM leader Brinda Karat for their inaction in arresting the headmaster.
Interestingly, officials from the police department, as well as the district administration would be inquired by the investigation team, as the victims' parents have alleged that some top officials were trying to protect the accused - M Arogiasamy (54), headmaster of the Government Higher Secondary School at Pothumbu, located about 12km from Madurai.Arogiasamy has been on the run ever since he was accused of abusing the girls.
A senior official from the state home department said that Karat had raised the sexual abuse issue with the chief minister's office. Virudhunagar SP Najmal Hoda (in-charge of Madurai rural district) rushed to Pothumbu and made enquiries with the victims' parents on Sunday and recorded the allegations against the officials.
Subsequently, Tirumangalam all woman police station inspector Maria Glory who was investigating the case, was replaced by Samayanallur all woman police station inspector Surya Kala as special investigation officer. Maria Glory had allegedly threatened the victims' parents to withdraw the complaint. The case was registered against Arogiasamy on July 14, but the police failed to arrest him all these days.
Karat, who visited Pothumbu on Saturday, pulled up the police for alleged dereliction of duty. She questioned them for inaction and also took up the matter with senior home department officials. Arogiasamy had faced similar allegations of sexual abuse, in 2008.
"The inquiry on officials would be conducted on Wednesday. Senior police officials were misguided by certain revenue, education department as well as lower-level police officials that it was a false case which was a fallout of a personal enmity of some of the parents with the headmaster. However, a fresh investigation clearly showed that the headmaster committed the offence and tried to escape from the case with a help of a senior district administration officer," the home department official said.
Another official said, "When the victims' parents approached the district administration official seeking action, he allegedly told them that the headmaster suffered from mental illness."
Meanwhile, the state education secretary D Sabitha has also sought a report on the whole episode.