Four Staff Members Arrested for Sexual Assault of Female Students at Valparai Government College

Coimbatore, September 2: Four staff members, including two assistant professors, were arrested on Saturday evening in connection with the sexual assault of six female students at the Valparai Government Arts and Science College. The arrested individuals include Assistant Professors S. Sathishkumar (39) and M. Muraliraj (33), Lab Technician Anbarasu (37), and Skill Course Trainer N. Rajapandi (35).

The arrests were made following a complaint filed by District Social Welfare Officer R. Ambika. The students had earlier lodged a complaint with the State Women's Commission, alleging that they were subjected to obscene messages on WhatsApp, harassment in classrooms and labs, and inappropriate touching.

In response, Ambika, along with Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education V. Kalaiselvi, visited the college on Friday to conduct an investigation. The students detailed their distressing experiences during this inquiry, leading to the subsequent police action.

The accused have been charged under Section 75(1) (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The investigation is being led by Inspector M. Menega. The arrested individuals have been remanded by the court.