CHENNAI: The warden of a children's orphanage in Tiruvannamalai has been arrested for sexually assaulting inmate boys aged 14 to 16. The children called the child helpline on Sunday, accusing the warden, Duraipandyan (36) of sexually assaulting them for the previous three months.
Up to 80 children, either orphans or from broken families, live at the government-run house. Sagairaj, the home's owner, was also arrested by police for neglecting to disclose the sexual assault to authorities and the childline. In the Tiruvannamalai district, there are five such children's homes that get government funding.
After seven children dialled hotline number 1098, a team of officials from the District Child Protection Office (DCPO), Childline, and police officers conducted an investigation and search at the Children's home.
Chetpet police filed a case against Duraipandian under Sections 7, 8, 19 (1), and 21 (2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (Pocso) Act, based on a complaint. He was additionally charged under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 506 (1) of the Indian Penal Code. J Chitra Priya, a legal protection officer with the District Child Protection Office (DCPO), said in a statement that the children have been temporarily relocated to a reception centre.
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