Doctor arrested for sexually assaulting 12 school students in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: The Perur All-Women Police (AWPS) on Friday arrested a doctor under Pocso Act for sexually assaulting 12 girl students of a government high school in Thondamuthur block during a medical camp. The incident came to light during a meeting conducted by education officers in schools based on the instructions of Chief Secretary N Muruganandam after four staff of Government Arts and Science College in Valparai were arrested for sexually harassing some students.

On Wednesday, a meeting was conducted with Class 6 to Class 10 students of the school in Thondamuthur. Twelve girl students complained that they had bad experience with Dr S Saravanamoorthy (33), a native of Tirupattur district, who was part of the free medical camp held in their school. Police said mobile medical units, operated by Isha Foundation, used to conduct free health camps for general public and schoolchildren across Coimbatore district under the banner ‘Action for Rural Rejuvenation’. The school authorities later reported this to the child welfare committee (CWC) who held an inquiry with the students and informed Perur AWPS on Thursday.

Officials from the Perur AWPS visited the school and inquired with each victim individually. After recording their statements, a case was registered against Saravanamoorthy under Section 9(e) (whoever being on the management or staff of a hospital, whether government or private, commits sexual assault on a child in that hospital) read with 10 (punishment for aggravated sexual assault) of Pocso Act on Friday and arrested him. He was produced before the special Pocso court and remanded to judicial custody in Coimbatore central prison.