A 40-year-old female teacher from a well-known school in Mumbai has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old male student over a period of one year. The teacher, who is married with children, faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, and the Indian Penal Code.

According to police reports, the English teacher developed an inappropriate interest in the student during meetings to set up dance groups for the school's annual function in December 2023. The situation reportedly escalated in January 2024, when she began making sexual advances toward him. The teacher told police she was attracted to the teenager and made sexual gestures.

When the student was initially reluctant and started avoiding her, the teacher enlisted the help of a female friend to manipulate him emotionally. This friend, who has also been booked, allegedly told the minor that relationships between older women and teenage boys had become quite common and that he and the teacher were "made for each other".

Subsequently, the teacher allegedly picked up the student in her car and took him to a secluded location where the first instance of sexual assault occurred. Afterward, when the student developed acute anxiety, she even gave him anti-anxiety pills. The teacher then began taking him to various five-star hotels in South Mumbai and near the airport, where she allegedly got him intoxicated and coerced him into sexual acts. Investigators claim that the teacher administered anxiety pills without any medical supervision and plied the boy with alcohol. The vehicle used in the incident has been seized for investigation.

Several months after the abuse started, the student's family noticed a change in his behavior and spoke to him about it, at which point he allegedly disclosed the abuse. The family initially decided to keep quiet, hoping the teacher would leave him alone, especially since he had only a few months left before graduating. However, the situation worsened when the teacher allegedly contacted the student again through her domestic staff after he had left school. The teen's family then decided to approach the police and register a case.

The teacher and her friend were arrested and remanded to police custody. Police are reviewing the teacher's past interactions with other students and examining her digital activities for any signs of grooming or inappropriate behavior. The school has not yet issued a statement on the matter.