Sexual abuse case: Teacher's plea against conviction dismissed

The Madras High Court today refused to set aside the conviction of a 27-year-old government school teacher for sexually exploiting a girl student in Ariyalur district, while describing him as an "evil being."
The division bench of justices S Nagamuthu and N Authinathan, however, reduced the 20-year rigorous jail term awarded to convict Madhvan by the trial court to 14 years, taking into account his poor socio-economic background.
Reducing the jail term given to Madhvan by fast-track Mahila Court in Ariyalur, the bench said, "A teacher is a role model to every student... Shockingly in this case, a shameless teacher is alleged to have sexually exploited a 14-year-old child, who was his student. He is not God-like, but an evil being."

The bench made the observation while rejecting Madhvan's plea to quash his conviction.
According to prosecution, Madhavan worked as a teacher in Government High School in Ariyalur district, where the victim girl was studying.
The accused who was already married had made a false promise to marry the girl had sexually exploited her in 2015 after taking her to a place in Jayamkondan.
The girl had subsequently lodged a complaint to an all- women's police station in Ariyalur against the teacher, who was arrested, put on trial and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 20 years by the Mahila Court.

The lower court had also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 and further ordered him to pay a sum of Rs 50,000 as compensation.