Chennai: 99-year-old retired teacher molests 10-year-old girl

A 99-year-old man was arrested in Chennai for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. The man has been charged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for allegedly molesting the girl near Poonamallee, on Sunday.

The school teacher named Parasuram (99) of Senneerkuppam near Poonamallee molested the girl belonging to a family that resided as tenants in one of the houses owned by Parasuram. Parasuram is a retired government school headmaster. The girl studies in a government school in class 5.

“On July 4, the elderly allegedly misbehaved with the 10-year-old girl who is studying class-5 in a government school. The girl reported a stomach pain after the incident to her mother,” the police said.

The police also said that the mother, thinking as an ordinary stomach pain bought tablets from a nearby medical shop. But the tablet failed to alleviate the pain forcing the mother to inquire.

“The reportedly told her mother that the elderly man had misbehaved with her on July 4. Shocked by this, the mother lodged a complaint at Avadi all women police station,” the police said.

Police said that 99-year-old Parasuraman, who owns five houses in the locality, rented the house to them and did the inapproprite act in the bathroom of the house. Based on the complaint, police picked up Parasuraman from his house. During interrogation, he confessed to his crime and was later arrested under charges of sexual assault. The accused is a father of five girls and two sons, police added.

Parasuram will now be remanded to judicial custody while the parents of the child are left devastated over the incident.