Bhubaneswar: A 32-year-old private coaching centre owner and tutor was arrested in Angul district on Thursday for allegedly raping a Class 9 student thrice since Nov 2024, police said on Friday.
The matter came to light earlier this month when some private photos of the girl with the accused were uploaded on a social media platform and subsequently, her mother came to know it and on Wednesday, she lodged an FIR against him.
Tulu Mohanta, the inspector of Pallahara police station, said, "We arrested the accused on Thursday and he was produced in court on Friday. We have already completed his medical test. Apart from the rape survivor, no other student of the coaching centre has filed such a case yet."
In 2022, the girl (then a student of Class 7), took admission at the coaching centre and in course of time, the tutor built a good rapport with her and her mother and he even started visiting their house. He also started giving the minor some gifts and brought food for her.
On Feb 7, 2025, some inappropriate photos of the minor with the tutor were uploaded online and somebody sent those images to the mother. When she confronted her daughter about it, the latter said those were AI-generated images.
But on Feb 14, while the two were travelling, the girl broke down and told her mother that the tutor raped her three times, the first time being in Nov. The other two times, he raped her at the coaching centre under the pretext of clearing her doubts and taking extra classes. When the girl protested, he threatened to kill her.
Police have informed the district administration about the case so that it will take necessary action against the coaching centre.