Mumbai: Coaching class owner arrested for molestation

The owner of a well-known coaching class was arrested on Thursday for allegedly molesting a 17-year-old female student at his Dadar office in central Mumbai, the police said.

Machindra Chate, 48, the owner of Chate Coaching Classes, was booked for offences under Section 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty of woman) and Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) following a complaint filed by the victim with the Bhoiwada police on Wednesday, the police said.

"Chate surrendered to us on Thursday. He was produced before a local court which remanded him to judicial custody. Later, he was granted bail by the court for Rs 15,000," Bhoiwada police station inspector D B Ingale told PTI.

The incident allegedly took place after a meeting held at the coaching class on Wednesday, which was attended by Chate, his students and their parents, since the syllabus had not been completed though exams were nearing, the police said.

After the meeting, the victim, an HSC commerce student, accompanied by two girls and a boy, went to Chate's cabin to discuss the same issue, where a heated argument between the coaching class owner and the students occurred, Ingale said.

During the argument, an enraged Chate is alleged to have inappropriately touched the girl, who went to the police station along with her parents and fellow students to lodge a complaint, he said.

The police recorded statements of the victim and two other witnesses -- a boy and a girl. A first information report was registered against coaching class owner, who was later arrested, the police said.