Nine boys detained for assaulting classmate in Thoothukudi school

Nine 13-year-old boys were detained in Thoothukudi for allegedly sexually assaulting a classmate in a school library, with charges filed under the BNS and POCSO Act. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Aug 18 at Government Higher Secondary School in Tharuvaikulam, where the boys allegedly removed the victim's trousers, hurt him, and applied chilli powder to his private parts. A teacher's arrival made them flee, and the victim's parents lodged a complaint on Aug 31. Police arrested five students on Sept 1 and the rest later, producing all nine before the juvenile justice board. They were lodged in a borstal home in Tirunelveli, with the case registered under sections including voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation.