HC grants bail to music teacher accused of sexually assaulting his student

The Bombay High Court granted bail to a music teacher accused of sexually abusing a minor, noting his lengthy incarceration and the trial's timeline.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to a 25-year-old music teacher who was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing his minor student. The music teachers sought his release saying he had already undergone one/third of the maximum sentence that would be imposed on him if he was convicted.

HC grants bail to music teacher accused of sexually assaulting his student

The accused was teaching a 13-year-old girl and during their interactions, he got closer to her by exchanging Instagram handles. The girl’s mother said that he was dissuaded from interacting with her online, but he continued to maintain contact. After the mother discovered the accused had kissed the victim, she filed a complaint at Charkop police station. In October 2023, the police arrested the music teacher.

After reading the social media messages exchanged between the accused and the victim, and the latter’s statement during examination, the court concluded that the victim permitted the accused for the act. However, it said, “consent would be irrelevant in the present case, as the victim was only 13 years old at the time of the incidence.”

The offences under section 354 (assault to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and sections 8 (sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 provide for sentence of imprisonment ranging from one to five years. The accused had suffered nearly one-and-a-half years of incarceration since the time of his arrest. The court granted bail to the accused, noting that his incarceration would not serve any purpose as the trial will take its own time. He is restrained from contacting the victim or entering the victim’s area of residence.