Media houses that revealed the name of Coimbatore sexual assault victim to be booked
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Chennai: The Coimbatore city police will file an FIR against the media houses that had revealed the identity of the Class XII girl student, who committed suicide on last Thursday evening after she was sexually harassed by her physics teacher.
A police team is ascertaining the details of the news stories that had appeared in print, television, social media and YouTube channels, and will charge those who revealed the name and identity of the girl.
Police said many social media users had posted the girl's photos, demanding justice for her. "The issue was brought to the knowledge of the judiciary and they advised us to take necessary action against the media houses for revealing the sexual assault victim's identity."
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), T. Jayachandran, told mediapersons on Monday, "We will register a case under Section 23 of the POSCO Act against the media houses for revealing the identity of the 17-year-old girl."
The girl had hanged herself to death on Thursday after she was reportedly abused by her former physics teacher, Mithun Chakravarthy. The accused teacher, arrested on Friday, has been remanded in 15-day custody, police said on Saturday.
He has been booked under IPC Section 306 (abetment of suicide) and Section 9 (l) (whoever commits sexual assault on a child more than once or repeatedly) read with 10 (punishment for aggravated sexual assault) of POCSO Act.
As per reports, the principal of the private school, Meera Jackson, with whom the victim had raised the complaint, had told the latter not to reveal the matter to anyone.
Instead, the principal reportedly said that it was not serious and "only like someone bumping into her while travelling in a bus".
As a result, several organisations carried out protests and demanded that the principal be arrested for "trying to hide the atrocity". The girl's family said they will only accept the body once the principal is arrested.
Finally, on Sunday, the police arrested the principal under sections of the Pocso Act and the family took their child's body to perform the last rites.