A 40-year-old English teacher from a well-known school in Mumbai has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Class 11 student over a period of more than a year. The teacher was arrested on Saturday under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to police reports, the incidents began in January 2024 when the teacher, who is married with children, developed an attraction towards the student during preparations for the high school annual function in December 2023 and made her first sexual overtures. The student was initially hesitant and started avoiding her.

The teacher then enlisted the help of a female friend, who is also booked in the case, to persuade the student. This friend allegedly told the minor that relationships between older women and teenage boys had "become quite common" and that the teacher and the student were "made for each other". Following this conversation, the student agreed to meet with the teacher.

One of the police officers involved in the investigation stated that the teacher picked up the student in her car, drove to an isolated location, and forcefully undressed and assaulted him. Further, the teacher allegedly gave the student anti-anxiety pills when he developed acute anxiety following the assault. The police have seized the car.

The teacher also began taking the student to various five-star hotels in South Mumbai and near the airport, where they engaged in a series of sexual encounters. Police added that the teacher would often get the student drunk before these encounters.

The student's family noticed a change in his behavior several months after the abuse began. After speaking with him, he disclosed the abuse. However, the family decided against reporting the incidents immediately, hoping the teacher would leave him alone since he had only a few months left before graduating. After passing his board exams and leaving the school earlier this year, the student reportedly sank into depression. The family decided to approach the police when the teacher attempted to contact him again through a domestic staff member, asking him to meet her.

The arrest of the teacher has shocked the school community. The school counts some of Mumbai's most celebrated names among its alumni.

Police have registered a case under sections 4 (penetrative sexual assault), 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault), and 17 (abetment of offenses) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, as well as various sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The teacher has been remanded to police custody until Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Authorities are currently gathering witness statements and evidence from crime scenes as investigations continue.