Mumbai Police have arrested a 40-year-old female teacher from a reputed city school for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old male student over several months. The arrest was made following a complaint lodged by the student’s family, according to a report by NDTV.

The accused, who is married and has children, has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, and the Indian Penal Code. There has been no response from the school regarding the case, NDTV reported.

Police officials told NDTV that the teacher was an English faculty member and taught the student when he was in Class XI. The accused reportedly developed an inappropriate interest in the student during meetings organised to form a dance group for the school’s annual function in December 2023. Investigators said she allegedly made sexual advances towards him in January 2024.

According to police, when the student began avoiding her, the teacher sought assistance from a female friend who is not associated with the school. NDTV reported that the friend, who has also been booked, allegedly approached the minor and attempted to convince him by saying such relationships are common. She reportedly told the student that he and the teacher "were made for each other." The friendd also reportedly told him that relationships between older women and teenage boys have "become quite common"

The police said the student later agreed to meet the teacher, who allegedly picked him up in a car and took him to a secluded location where the first instance of sexual assault occurred. The vehicle used in the incident has been seized for investigation, NDTV reported.

A second police official told NDTV that the teacher subsequently took the student to five-star hotels in South Mumbai and near the airport, where she allegedly got him intoxicated and coerced him into sexual acts. According to the report, when the student began experiencing anxiety, the accused provided him with anti-anxiety medication.

The report said that the family first noticed changes in the student’s behaviour and confronted him, but chose not to file a complaint immediately, hoping that the teacher would stop contacting him after he completed his board examinations. However, the situation worsened when the teacher allegedly contacted the student again through her domestic staff.

Following this, the student’s family approached the police and registered a complaint. The case has been booked under Sections 4 (penetrative sexual assault), 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault), and 17 (abetment) of the POCSO Act, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act, NDTV reported.

The investigation is ongoing.