Tamil Nadu: Teacher accused of taking girls' pictures

Karur: Parents and enraged people laid a siege on the Panchayat Union Middle School, Vayalur, near Kulithalai, on Monday alleging that a teacher took voyeuristic photographs of schoolgirls on his cellphone. According to a section of the public, some of the girls complained to their parents that the teacher, K Paramanandam, took their photos on his mobile phone. The parents demanded that the authorities initiate action against the teacher and keep the school closed until the teacher was arrested. Coming to the rescue of the teacher, another section of people, however, said that Paramanandam had put in five years of service in the school and had never misbehaved with girls.

Sources said that Paramanandam could well have been framed as he stood up for the students when the noon meal centre staff refused to cook food for students belonging to certain castes. They said that a woman belonging to a backward caste was posted at the school as the cook and her assistant, M Periakka, allegedly asked students of other castes to bring food from home. Paramanandam reportedly told Periakka that all were equal in the school and that all students should be allowed to take food.

Headmistress Sushiladevi, too, reportedly upbraided Periakka and asked her not to instigate communal feelings among the students. Assistant Elementary Education Officer of Paramathi, M V Senthilkumar, said the issue would be probed.

Some girls complained to their parents that the teacher, K Paramanandam, took their photos on his mobile phone.

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