Three brothers running coaching centre sexually assault 15-year-old girl student in South Mumbai for nearly two years; two arrested: Police

According to the police, the victim had joined the coaching centre in 2022 after she moved in with her mother following the divorce of her parents. While she joined a new school, she also started attending the coaching classes. In her new school, she did not speak to any of her teachers and fellow students, and her mother first noticed behavioral changes in her in late 2022 and, in January 2023, she approached the child development centre and admitted her daughter there, the police said.

She went to the development centre for around four months but stopped going in May 2023. She, however, rejoined the development centre in February this year and, in March, confided about being repeatedly sexually assaulted by the three brothers to a counsellor. She, however, requested the counsellor to not reveal it to her mother, fearing social stigma, the police said. She also stopped going to the coaching classes in March.

The counsellor, however, informed her mother, but both mother and daughter refused to lodge a police complaint. Officials from the child development centre, however, approached the police late on Friday and registered a case under relevant sections of molestation, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012.

“Following the registration of FIR, the girl and her mother’s statements were also recorded after which two brothers were arrested. The eldest brother (27), also a teacher, is still at large and we are trying to trace him,” a senior police officer said.

According to the complaint, the three brothers have been assaulting her since 2022.

As per the statement of the counsellor, aware of her parents’ divorce, the 25-year-old accused started approaching her by constantly messaging her. He took her in confidence and gained her trust by showing sympathy towards her family’s situation and also took her out for two movies. “In the theatre, the accused touched her inappropriately and as she felt uncomfortable, she expressed her displeasure to him,” the complaint read.

During counselling, the girl later spoke about the other two brothers (aged 24 and 27), who had also allegedly sexually assaulted her multiple times inside the coaching classes. “The 24-year-old was allegedly sexually assaulting her since 2022,” a police officer said, adding that the elder brother also sexually assaulted her in the coaching centre and his home nearby between July and December 2023.

The police said there are 35-40 girl students who attend the coaching centre and they are trying to ascertain whether the three teachers targeted any other student in a similar manner. The two arrested accused were produced before court and remanded in police custody.