A 59-year-old Tamil teacher and a clerk of the Government Adi Dravidar Welfare High School in Tiruvannamalai were arrested by police personnel of the All Women Police Station (AWPS) on charges of alleged sexual harassment of seven students over the past two years.The arrested persons were identified as V. Sathyaseelan, a native of Chengam, and K. Balamurugan, a native of Cuddalore district. Initial inquiry revealed that the school came under the scanner of the District Child Protection Office (DCPO) in Tiruvannamalai after it got a complaint regarding sexual harassment.DCPO officials said that a team of DCPO officials, led by K. Selvi, visited the school campus on July 24 to create awareness among students and teachers on the usage of the child helpline, child rights and protections, and the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.DCPO officials said that during the programme, which was held in two separate sessions for boys and girls, the affected students complained about sexual harassment by the teacher and clerk. They also gave written complaints on sexual harassment to the DCPO team.The DCPO officials said that such awareness sessions are held regularly in educational institutions like schools, colleges, and diploma institutes as part of childcare. On an average, 12-13 child abuse cases are registered with DCPO in the district every month.The DCPO team apprised Tiruvannamalai Collector K. Tharpagaraj of the sexual harassment complaints given by students to the visiting team. Based on a complaint by DCPO, All Women Police Station (AWPS) in Polur arrested the duo, who were later lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. A probe is under way.Published - August 01, 2025 12:58 am IST