Mumbai: 35-year-old peon held for sexually harassing 15-year-old student in school toilet

Representative image. Pic/Istock

The Gamdevi police have arrested a 35-year-old peon of a renowned school from the Grant Road area for allegedly molesting a 15-year-old school girl. The sexual harassment of the class 10 girl was going on since July after the accused (name withheld) befriended her. However, he had threatened her with dire consequences if she discloses it to anyone, said police.

According to the police, the accused a resident of Virar first befriended her and later started to sexually harass her. He used to take her to the school's toilet and abuse her there. The accused had threatened to kill her if she discloses it to anyone as a reason the girl stayed mum, said police.

Recently her mother found her crying, she suspected something was a miss and took her daughter into confidence. It was then the girl narrated her ordeal. Her mother then informed the school administration and approached the police. On her complaint, the Gamdevi police registered an offence and arrested the accused immediately on Friday. He was subsequently produced before the court which granted him police custody.

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"As soon as the incident was reported to us we arrested the accused, he was produced before the court which granted him police custody till September 14, said Dattaram Girap, senior inspector of Gamdevi police station.

The police have booked him on the charges of 354 (assault or criminal force to any woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with sections 8 and 12 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

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The accused had also taken her number and would video call her and asked her to strip in front of the mobile while he would do the same as a reason the police have also slapped the Information Technology (IT) act section 67 A for punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing the sexually explicit act, etc. in electronic form.

The police are now investigating if the accused had similarly abused any other girl from the school.