70-year-old booked for molestation

Indore: A 24-year-old student has accused a 70-year-old acquaintance of molestation after allegedly luring her to his house on the pretext of helping her find accommodation and purchase essential items for her studies.

Based on her complaint, Pardeshipura police have registered a case against the man.

According to Pardeshipura police station in-charge RD Kanwa, the student is pursuing her studies in Indore. In her complaint, she stated that the accused, Shantilal Jain, resident of Shajapur, was known to her family and that she met him at Geeta Bhavan Square on Dec 25, 2025, when she had come to Indore for an examination.

During conversation, she informed him that she was looking for a hostel in city and the accused showed her a hostel where she later took a room. The student said that after moving into the hostel, she contacted Jain to help her in purchasing necessary items. He arrived at the hostel and offered to take her shopping. Claiming that they were heading to Vijay Nagar, he instead took her to his residence in Nandanagar.

After reaching the house, Jain offered her water and then sat close to her and began making inappropriate physical advances. When she resisted and attempted to leave, he allegedly threatened her with consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

Police said the student remained frightened for months after the incident. As her family members often advised her to contact Jain whenever she needed assistance in the city, she initially did not reveal what had happened. She eventually gathered the courage to inform her mother about the alleged incident. Her family arrived in Indore on Monday and accompanied her to Pardeshipura police station, where a complaint was lodged.