Chennai, July 28 : A government school teacher in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district has been detained under the stringent Goondas Act after being accused of sexually abusing more than 20 students.

The accused, M. Senthil Kumar (50), a resident of Iduhatty near Udhagamandalam, was working as a science teacher in a government school when the allegations came to light.

Senthil Kumar, who has served as a teacher for more than 23 years in various government schools across Tamil Nadu, had only recently been posted to the Nilgiris.

The disturbing revelations emerged during an awareness programme conducted by the district police to educate students about sexual harassment and abuse.

During these sessions, several students reported that their teacher had been sexually assaulting them since his appointment at the school.

Following the students' complaints, the police registered a case against Senthil Kumar under Section 75(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for sexual harassment, along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

He was also booked under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as some of the victims belong to marginalised communities.

Senthil Kumar was arrested earlier this month and remanded to judicial custody.

In view of the serious nature of the offences and the potential threat posed by the accused, Nilgiris Superintendent of Police N.S. Nisha recommended detention under the Goondas Act -- a preventive measure used against habitual offenders and those considered a danger to public order.

Acting on the recommendation, the District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru approved the order, and served the orders to Senthil Kumar, who is already lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison.

The police have now widened the scope of their investigation to include the schools where Senthil Kumar had previously worked.

Authorities are trying to determine whether similar offences were committed in his earlier postings.

Officials have urged any additional victims to come forward as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The case has sent shockwaves across the Nilgiris district, prompting calls for stricter background checks and surveillance mechanisms within educational institutions to ensure student safety.

/IANS