Mumbai: City police on Wednesday submitted a chargesheet against a 40-year-old female teacher accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old male pupil at a prominent city school where she was formerly employed. The woman, a mother of two children, was arrested and subsequently granted bail. Also named in the chargesheet was the teacher’s female friend, a doctor.In June, the police booked the two women. The doctor was alleged to have contacted the boy on the teacher’s behalf when he started distancing himself.It was alleged that the Class 11 student was introduced to the teacher during the school’s extracurricular activities, including dance groups she organised in Dec 2023.At the time of the teacher’s bail, the teen opposed the plea, submitting that if the woman is released, she would once again find ways to manipulate, intimidate, threaten, and harm his life, and also tamper with the evidence.In a detailed order granting bail to the woman, though, the special Pocso court said there is evidence from both sides showing that subsequently, there was a consensual relationship between them. Noting the teen was over 17 years old, Special Judge Sabina A Malik said, “As the accused resigned from the school, the relationship of a teacher and student no longer existed and hence, the influence is diluted.” The judge further mentioned that the trial will take time to commence and, in the meantime, nothing fruitful would be gained by keeping the accused behind bars.
