Nagpur psychologist arrested for sexually exploiting minors

The city police on Monday arrested a 47-year-old psychologist for allegedly blackmailing and sexually exploiting at least 50 students over the past 15 years

Nagpur: The city police on Monday arrested a 47-year-old psychologist for allegedly blackmailing and sexually exploiting at least 50 students over the past 15 years. The accused, whose name has been withheld for legal and social reasons, reportedly abused his position of trust as a counsellor and mentor to manipulate vulnerable students from rural areas.

The city police on Monday arrested a 47-year-old psychologist for allegedly blackmailing and sexually exploiting at least 50 students. (Representational image)

Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Singal has also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The team led by deputy commissioner Rashmitha Rao, includes members of the child welfare committee and district child protection officers to offer technical and legal assistance.

According to Hudkeshwar police, the accused operated a private clinic and conducted residential programmes in east Nagpur, where he targeted young girls under the pretence of counselling them and offering training in personal development. Three cases have been registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The case came to light when a 27-year-old woman, one of his former students, now married, approached the Hudkeshwar police, on Sunday, to report that the psychologist was blackmailing her with explicit photographs from her time at his institution. She filed the complaint, supported by her husband, thereby exposing the long history of abuse.

Following her complaint, the police tracked down other survivors and encouraged them to come forward and share their stories – most of them however were reluctant to speak up unwilling to relive their traumatic past, as also fearing repercussions within the family and social stigma.

Investigations have revealed that the accused was known to lure female students participating in the personal development camps in rural areas like Bhandara and Gondia. During the camps he would consume alcohol, allegedly sexually assault the girls and film them. He would later use the pictures to blackmail the victims, threatening to taint their reputations and harm their careers if they reported his actions.

The psychologist was also known to convince parents to enrol their children in his programmes, promising to help them develop interpersonal, academic and professional skills. Many parents entrusted their wards to him as their “local guardian,” which allowed him to further exert control over them, an investigation officer told HT.

He continued the act for a protracted period, threatening to “expose” the victims even after they were married. Explicit photographs and videos were later recovered from his phone, strengthening the case against him.

“Three survivors have come forward to make statements against the accused psychologist. We hope more victims will also come up with complaints,” said Rashmitha Rao. “The accused exploited his position of trust and used fear and coercion to silence his victims. We are working to build a strong case to ensure justice,” she added.

Police have launched a manhunt for two women accused of assisting the psychologist in recruiting students for his programmes. One of the women is reportedly a former student who later married the accused and allegedly played an active role in the operations.

The case has sparked outrage and renewed calls for stricter measures to protect children and young adults from exploitation by individuals in positions of power.