Navi Mumbai school shocker: PT teacher arrested for sexually harassing, stalking 13-year-old student; beat classmate over message

NAVI MUMBAI: A 32-year-old physical training (PT) teacher at a private school in Sanpada was arrested by the police for allegedly sexually harassing and stalking a 13year-old girl student of the school.Investigation officer PSI Krushna Kute of Sanpada police station said that the arrested teacher, a resident of Nerul, was booked under relevant sections of BNS along with the Pocso Act. He was produced before the Belapur court on Tuesday and was remanded in police custody for one day.PSI Kute said, “On Dec 4, the victim minor girl student reached her school before school hours – around 6:45. She was alone in her classroom as other students were yet to arrive. The accused took advantage of her being alone and forcibly kissed her. Thereafter, he threatened her not to tell anyone about his act. Fearing him, she did not reveal her ordeal to her parents. However, when a girl in her class learnt about it, she told her brother, who in turn informed the girl’s parents. Subsequently, the girl’s parents registered an FIR at Sanpada police station on Monday.”PSI Kute said that, as per the complaint lodged by the girl’s parents, in Aug, the teacher beat up a 13-year-old boy, the victim girl's classmate, for not conveying his message to her that he liked her. The boy's parents complained to the principal, who suspended him. However, he was later reinstated. After the Dec 4 incident, he continued to stalk her whenever she was returning home, according to the complaint.