A special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Thursday granted bail to a West Bengal-based doctor accused of aiding the 40-year-old female teacher in the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old student at a reputed school in Mumbai.
The doctor, arrested on July 18 and remanded to judicial custody on July 23, was booked for allegedly prescribing anti-anxiety pills to the teenage boy that allegedly allowed the teacher to coerce him into submission and prolonged sexual relationship, though the teacher has denied the charges.
Special judge Sabina A Malik, while allowing the bail plea, noted that the doctor was “not the main accused” and that custodial interrogation was complete. “There is nothing more to be recovered or discovered at the hands of this applicant,” the court observed, adding that “the trial will take time to commence, and in the meantime, nothing fruitful would be gained by keeping this applicant behind bars.”
The prosecution, as well as the minor survivor, opposed the bail plea. In a written submission, the boy said he feared manipulation or harm if the doctor were released, and that her freedom would leave him in a state of “perpetual fear.”
Granting bail on a personal bond of ₹50,000 with solvent sureties, the court imposed strict conditions: the doctor must not contact the survivor, tamper with evidence, or leave Mumbai without prior permission. “Breach of any condition will amount to cancellation of bail forthwith,” the order stated.
This development comes weeks after the court also granted bail to the boy’s former teacher, who had been arrested under provisions of the POCSO Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Juvenile Justice Act. The teacher, who allegedly exploited the student over more than a year, was accused of luring him to five-star hotels, intoxicating him with alcohol and pills, and engaging in repeated sexual acts between January 2024 and February 2025.
In her defence, the teacher argued that the FIR was “motivated” and filed at the behest of the boy’s mother. She claimed the relationship was consensual after the boy turned 16, and cited affectionate messages, handwritten notes, and a tattoo of her name on his body to support her claims.
While granting her bail last month, the court observed that her resignation from the school in April 2024 had altered the “student–teacher dynamic” and noted her responsibilities as a single mother of twins, one of whom is medically vulnerable.
Both the doctor and the teacher remain accused under serious charges, including sections of the POCSO Act, BNS, and the Juvenile Justice Act. The court has warned that any violation of bail terms by either party will lead to immediate cancellation of relief.