Chennai, Jul 29 (IANS): A physical education teacher in a government school near Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore city was arrested after several girl students complained of his sexual harassment, police said on Friday.

Prabhakaran, 55, from Valparai was recently transferred to the government school in Coimbatore and ever since, girl students have been complaining about him.

Parents of the girl students alleged that even after the students had lodged formal complaints with the headmistress, no action was taken against him.

On Friday morning parents and students, along with their relatives and friends, gathered at the school and demanded Prabhakaran be arrested. The students said that ever since he joined the school, he had been touching them with bad intentions and that even after complaining several times to the headmistress, he was not punished, hence they had to resort to a mass protest in front of the school.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore South, N. Silambarasan, RDO, Comibatore South, P. Elango, RDO, and other senior officials reached the school and held talks with the agitating parents and students. However, it was only after police arrested the teacher, did the protesters disperse from the school premises.

Prabhakaran was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, and sent to judicial custody.