Mumbai: Mumbai police arrested a 22-year-old karate instructor on Monday night for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl at a gymnasium in Central Mumbai. The accused had been abusing the minor since January, threatening to harm her mother if she revealed the abuse, according to police.
The suspect, from Mahim, was arrested after the girl’s mother filed a complaint. The assaults reportedly occurred multiple times when no other students were around, as per the Indian Express report.
According to the report, "The accused was produced in the court on Tuesday and was remanded in police custody for four days," said a police officer supervising the investigation. Also, the information was received from the police source: "The accused also threatened the girl, saying that if she told anyone about it, he would tell them that he did all these things at her instruction."
Authorities are investigating whether other students were targeted and whether the gym had CCTV footage of the incidents. The victim underwent a medical examination at Sion Hospital. Police are also questioning other students and instructors as part of the investigation.
The girl’s statement will soon be recorded under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The accused faces charges under sections related to rape, criminal intimidation, and relevant POCSO provisions.
A case similar to the recent sexual abuse incident involving a minor girl in a Badlapur school has surfaced in Kandivali. An 11-year-old schoolboy was sexually abused by a school sweeper inside the toilet. The accused has been arrested by the police.
The boy, a student at a school in Kandivali East, had gone to the second-floor toilet around 11:30 am on Thursday. At that time, the school sweeper, Vinayak Khopkar (30), allegedly recorded a video of the boy on his mobile phone. He then threatened the child not to tell anyone and used obscene language.
