Mumbai: School peon booked for sexual assault on student denied bail

Mumbai: Calling the nature of allegations serious, a special court designated under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) has rejected the bail plea of a 35-year-old school peon accused of sexually assaulting a Class X girl student of the institution. 

The court observed while denying him the relief that he is working as a peon in the school where the victim is studying and therefore there is every possibility that he may pressurize her if enlarged on bail.

The 15-year-old’s mother had intervened in the proceedings and requested the court not to grant him bail. She had told it that her daughter had lost weight after the incident and is refusing to eat on mention of it. The teen is also undergoing therapy, she informed. The mother was apprehensive that if he is released on bail, the man may attack her or flee.

The man had claimed bail contending that he is falsely implicated. His advocate pointed out the 1.5 months delay in lodging the complaint. The peon also contended that such incidents are not possible in a school where there are other students and school staff, etc. 

As per the complaint lodged at a police station in South Mumbai, the matter came to light when the mother found the girl crying while using her mobile. Her daughter did not reveal the real reason. The mother then checked the phone that the teen was chatting with the applicant.

She then learnt that the man worked as a peon in her daughter's school. She took her daughter into confidence and learnt that the man had kissed her during a school program, then blackmailed her using that incident to get intimate with her over video calls.

The police added more serious charges under POCSO later when they learnt from the teen's statement before a magistrate that he had sexually assaulted her in the gents washroom of the school by compelling her to come there.