

Madurai: Six school children - four girls and two boys - were hospitalised after a group of teenagers allegedly molested and harassed them near Usilampatti in Madurai. Madurai rural police, who registered cases against six boys, said the victims and the accused belonged to the 10-12 age group. The incident took place on Friday when the children were passing through an area near M Kallupatti.

After the father of one of the victims lodged a complaint with the M Kallupatti police station, cases were registered under various sections including IPC 341 (wrongful restraint), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and the Protection of Children From Sexual Offenses (PoSCO) Act, 2012.

The complainant said the boys stopped the children, who are studying in the Ulaipatti primary government school, molested them by touching them inappropriately, inflicted cut injuries and poured cow dung on them. Badly shaken, the children told their parents about it.

Madurai superintendent of police Vijayendra S Bidari said it appears to be a case of sudden provocation. The incident is under detailed investigation. Since the accused are juveniles, they have not been arrested. Based on the inquiry results, the boys will be produced before the juvenile justice board, if required, he said.

On the juveniles being booked under the PoCSO Act, the SP said, "there is no bar on registering an FIR under the PoCSO Act against juveniles. Only the procedure followed for investigation and preparing the final report is different. The juvenile justice board decides on the report given by the police."

Police sources said that if the elders had got involved in the incident, it would have flared up as the area is a hotbed of caste-based violence.



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