Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a karate instructor, who was supposed to teach self-defense, has been arrested for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who was attending his training sessions in Dadar.
The Shivaji Park police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested the 22-year-old accused, Parth Sakarkar.
According to the police, Sakarkar, a Mahim resident, had been working as a karate instructor at a gymnasium in Dadar for the past year. The victim girl was attending karate classes at this same gymnasium.
The police complaint states that between January 1 and June 7 of this year, Sakarkar allegedly established a close relationship with the girl during training sessions and then sexually assaulted her.
Disturbingly, Sakarkar reportedly threatened the girl that if she didn't comply, he would blackmail her mother and inflict similar abuse upon her. The victim eventually gathered the courage to confide in her mother about the horrific ordeal.
On July 7, the 43-year-old mother promptly filed a complaint at the Shivaji Park police station, leading to Sakarkar's immediate arrest. Police are now investigating whether the accused has targeted other minors.