A government doctor S Samson Daniel has been taken into custody on charges of molesting minors over a period of several months in a primary school dormitory in the Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu. The hostel is affiliated with a government-aided school. The 31-year-old accused from Palakkarai was apprehended under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on 5th September. He served as a physician at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Anbil near Lalgudi. His mother, S Grace Sagayarani (54), a school’s headmistress, was also arrested for aiding in the cover-up of the crimes. They have been sent to a three-day judicial custody by a women’s court.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: A 31-year-old doctor Dr S Samson Daniel was arrested for sexually assaulting minor girls at a Hostel affiliated with a government-aided school in Trichy. He was booked under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. His mother,… pic.twitter.com/ZH2OCWxiUp
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2024
The perpetrator used his visits to the hostel for consultations to sexually abuse the children, as reported by the police. The charges were made public following a panic call to the Child Helpline. Afterwards, the District Child Protection Officer, District Social Welfare Officer, together with other officials visited the students on 2nd August and learned about the crime. A complaint was then made at the Fort All Women Police Station which conducted a probe and nabbed him. 42 young girls and boys staying at the hostel were questioned by the team.
According to authorities, the kid unveiled that during the previous few months, the doctor had been inappropriately touching them under the garb of health check-ups, which amounted to sexual assault. “During the checkups, he allegedly misbehaved with the girls aged between 5 and 10, and touched them inappropriately. The incident came to light when one of the parents informed the child helpline ‘1098’ about it,” highlighted the police.
According to media reports, a senior official revealed, “Samson, who began his government service in 2021 after completing his medical degree from Puducherry in 2017, had been stationed in Thoothukudi before his transfer to Tiruchirappalli. Samson’s mother is the principal of a government-aided primary school. It was at this school, where students from class 1 to 5 reside in the hostel, that Samson allegedly abused his position to visit and harass the students under the guise of providing medical care.”
On 4th September he tried to physically assault and verbally abuse the media while he was being brought to the hospital for a medical examination before his court appearance. He was restrained by the police after they stepped in and then took him to the hospital.
#BREAKING || செய்தியாளரை அடிக்க பாய்ந்த போக்சோ கைதி..#Trichy #Court #Police #Prisoner #NewsTamil #Newstamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/WuH6VUoUKi
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) September 3, 2024
Fort All Women Police Station mentioned that the offender had no criminal record. The doctor exploited his position of power to commit the crimes by frequently visiting the dormitory because his mother was the headmistress of the school. The school receives funding from the government but is administered privately.
