Harassment of hostel inmates: City police grill hotel owner

Coimbatore: The city police on Saturday grilled the owner of a hotel near the Town Hall in connection with the harassment meted out to the inmates of a women’s hostel at the hotel premises.

on July 23, owner of the women’s hostel Jagannathan, hostel warden Punitha and five hostel inmates had visited the hotel, where Jagannathan attempted to misbehave with the girls, police sources said. The incidents were recorded in the restaurant’s CCTV system. The footage was handed over to the police.

“Jagannathan misbehaved with the girls at the restaurant and Punitha supported him,” a police officer said.

A Jagannathan of VIP Nagar at Vilankurichi in Coimbatore city was running two women’s hostels – one at BK Puram and the other on the Thanneerpandal Road.

On July 23, parents of the hostel inmates staged a protest in front of the hostel at BK Puram alleging that Jagannathan and Punitha had taken the girls to the hotel for dinner and asked them to drink liquor. But, the girls refused. Later, Jagannathan attempted to misbehave with the girls during the dinner and the girls returned to the hostel and informed their parents.

Following the incident, Peelamedu police registered a case against the duo and formed special teams to nab them. Meanwhile Jagannathan committed suicide at Sivalarkulam near Alankulam in Tirunelveli district. Punitha managed to escape and later surrendered before a judicial magistrate court.