Teacher gets 20 years jail for raping student for three years

Trichy: A 44-year-old teacher of a govt school near Trichy was convicted and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under the Pocso Act for sexually assaulting his student for three years.The accused, J Kumaravel, from Musiri, worked as a mathematics teacher at the govt school near Thuraiyur. In 2019, Kumaravel befriended the 14-year-old girl studying in Class 9, and gradually developed a relationship with her. By promising to marry her, he sexually assaulted her repeatedly over three years. The abuse came to light in 2022 when the girl was about 17 years old, prompting her family to report the matter to the police.Kumaravel was arrested shortly after the complaint. A case was registered at the all women police station in Musiri under Section 5(l) r/w Section 6(1) of the Pocso Act for the sexual assault, along with sections 366 and 342 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for abduction and wrongful confinement.The case was tried in Trichy mahila court for three years, after which Kumaravel was found guilty. On Monday, judge D Shanmuga Priya pronounced the sentence, awarding him 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposing a total fine of 20,000.Trichy district superintendent of police S Selvanagarathinam appreciated the police team for their investigation and for successfully securing the conviction of the accused.