Mumbai: 3 Brothers, Running Coaching Classes In SoBo, Booked Under POCSO For Sexually Assaulting Minor For Over 2 Years

Mumbai: Three brothers who run a coaching centre in South Mumbai were booked by the Mumbai police for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl over a span of nearly two years. The girl reported that the brothers forced her to arrive early and stay late at the coaching centre, where they repeatedly abused her.

According to an Indian Express report, two of the brothers were arrested on Saturday after a child development centre, where the victim confided in a counsellor in March, filed a case with the police on Friday. The eldest brother remains at large, and the police are currently searching for him.

The brothers, aged 24, 25 and 27, resided in South Mumbai and ran a coaching institute for students from Class 7 to Class 12, with 35-40 girls attending their classes, according to the police.

Victim Was Admitted To Child Development Centre

According to the report citing the victim’s account, she joined the coaching centre in 2022 after moving in with her mother following her parents' divorce. She enrolled in a new school while simultaneously attending the coaching classes. However, she was withdrawn and didn’t interact with teachers or peers in her new school. Noticing changes in her behaviour in late 2022, her mother admitted her to a child development centre for counselling in January 2023.

The victim attended counselling for four months before discontinuing in May 2023. However, she rejoined the centre in February of this year and, in March, revealed to a counselor that she had been repeatedly sexually assaulted by the three brothers. She requested that the counselor not inform her mother due to fear of social stigma, according to the police. She also stopped attending the coaching classes in March.

Officials From The Child Development Centre Approached Police

The counsellor informed the girl’s mother about the situation, but both the mother and daughter initially declined to file a police report. However, late on Friday, officials from the child development centre took the initiative to approach the police and officially registered a case. The allegations include molestation, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code, as well as provisions from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012.

“After the FIR was registered, the statements of both the girl and her mother were recorded, which led to the arrest of two of the brothers. The eldest brother, aged 27 and a teacher, is still at large, and we are actively working to locate him,” a senior police officer told Indian Express.

According to the complaint, the brothers had been assaulting the victim since 2022. The counsellor revealed that the 25-year-old accused began reaching out to her, frequently messaging her. He built a rapport by expressing sympathy for her family's circumstances and even took her to the movies, where he inappropriately touched her. When she felt uncomfortable, she made her displeasure known.

During counselling sessions, the girl later disclosed that the other two brothers, aged 24 and 27, had also sexually assaulted her multiple times within the coaching centre. The 24-year-old brother allegedly began his abuse in 2022, while the elder brother reportedly assaulted her both at the coaching centre and at his nearby home between July and December 2023.

The police confirmed that there are approximately 35-40 girl students enrolled at the coaching centre and are investigating whether the three brothers targeted any other students in a similar manner. The two brothers who were arrested have been brought before the court and remanded to police custody.