Female teacher from elite Mumbai school accused of sexually assaulting student for months; horrific details emerge
A Mumbai teacher has been arrested under the POCSO Act for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old male student over a year. She reportedly manipulated him through a friend and took him to secluded locations for encounters.
A female English teacher from an elite Mumbai school has been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. She faces charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old male student from Class 11 on several occasions over a year, according to Hindustan Times.
Police stated the 40-year-old teacher, who is married and has children, allegedly became attracted to the boy during dance group meetings in late 2023 and made advances in January 2024. The boy initially avoided her.
The teacher then involved a female friend, also arrested, to convince him. This friend allegedly told the minor that relationships between older women and teenage boys were "common" and that he and the teacher were "made for each other".
After the phone call, the boy met the teacher. She allegedly drove him in a sedan, now seized, to an isolated place, forcefully undressed and assaulted him.
“Over the next few days, when the student developed acute anxiety, she even gave him some anti-anxiety pills,” a police officer told HT.
Months after the alleged abuse began, the student's family noticed changes in his behaviour. He then told them about the incidents. The family initially kept quiet, hoping the situation would end as the student was nearing the end of school.
The student fell into depression after having passed his exams. He left school earlier in 2025. Matters worsened when the teacher again tried to contact him.
Following this, the family decided to approach the police. A case has been registered under the POCSO Act and other relevant laws.
Police say the teacher took him to five-star hotels in South Mumbai and near the airport for sexual encounters. She allegedly often got him drunk beforehand.
The teacher is now in police custody. Her arrest has shocked the school community.
Is POCSO Act applicable to male victims?
Under the POCSO Act, the victim is a child (below 18 years), whether boy or girl. The law is gender neutral, meaning the victim or the offender can be male or female.
Both male and female offenders are treated equally under the law. POCSO punishes three main types of sexual crimes: sexual assault, sexual harassment and using a child in pornography.
“Any act done with sexual intent on a child involving physical contact” is considered sexual assault under the POCSO Act.
Under the POCSO Act, penetrative sexual assault on a child is treated as a very serious crime. It is punished more strictly than other types of sexual abuse.
For general sexual assault on a child, the punishment is at least three years in jail, which can go up to 5 years, plus a fine. But, for penetrative sexual assault, the punishment is stricter.
In such cases, the offender will face at least seven years in jail, which can even go up to life imprisonment, along with a fine.