Chennai school sexual harassment: TNCPCR told that Siva Shankar Baba suffered heart attack right before hearing

Siva Shankar Baba, the founder of Sushil Hari International Residential School in Chennai reportedly suffered a heart attack and is hospitalised in Dehradun. The self-styled spiritual guru was accused of sexually harassing students of his schools and was summoned by the Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child's Rights for a hearing. While the Baba did not turn up for the hearing, the administrator of the school had relayed the reason why to the commission.

"The administrator of Sushil Hari School, Janani (representative of Siva Shankar Baba) had appeared before the commission and informed us that he is in Dehradun for more than a week for a religious trip and that he got a sudden heart attack on the night of June 8 and has undergone a surgery at a hospital in Dehradun. Related medical records, bills and photos were submitted to the commission," said Dr Saranya Jaikumar, a member of the TNCPCR. She added that the commission will reschedule the meeting with Siva Sankar Baba within the next three months. 

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Following an incident where G Rajagopal, a teacher of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, a school in Chennai, was arrested for inappropriately behaving with his students, a few alumni of SHIRS also took to Twitter to call out Baba for sexually abusing them, when they were minors and students.

The TNCPCR said that the principal of the school too didn't appear for the hearing, because she was COVID positive. "The Correspondent and Legal Advisor were enquired for 3 hours. Although the latter did not cooperate initially, he later was made to answer the questions at the enquiry. The commission’s enquiry panel included two psychologists and the body language analysis on each of their statements were continuously noted," said Dr Saranya in a statement. She added that the two complainants were enquired through video conferencing, adhering to POCSO rules.