A psychologist has been arrested by Nagpur (a city in the state of Maharashtra) police on Monday (Jan 13) for allegedly blackmailing and sexually exploiting at least 50 students over the past 15 years. 

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The accused is 47 years old and is unnamed for legal and social reasons; he is a father of two. He deceived young girls from rural areas into coming to residential camps by pretending to offer counseling. 

SIT: Probe the case

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Singal to investigate the case. Rashmitha Rao, deputy commissioner, is leading the team along with members of the child welfare committee and district child protection officers to offer technical and legal assistance.

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Modus operandi of the accused

The accused operated a private clinic and conducted residential programmes in East Nagpur, as stated by the Hudkeshwar police. He is alleged to trick young girls, pretending to offer counselling to them and offering training in personal development.

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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.

Also read: India: Three men arrested in Delhi for gang-raping Odisha-based woman

How did the accused get caught? 

The case came to light when a 27-year-old woman, one of his former students, approached the Hudkeshwar police last week to report that the psychologist was blackmailing her with explicit photographs from her time at his institution. Her husband supported her complaint, which exposed the long history of abuse.

The police traced other survivors following the complaint and persuaded them to come ahead and share their stories, but most of them resisted speaking up, anxious about the repercussions they might have to face due to social stigma and family. 

He is alleged to have continued 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.

Also Read: Nurse brutally 'gang-raped' in India’s UP; accused put chilli powder in genitals

Accused lured students from rural areas

Investigations revealed that the accused targeted female students participating in personal development camps in rural areas like Bhandara and Gondia. During the camps, he would allegedly consume alcohol, 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 is also alleged to have convinced parents to enroll 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.

Police take initiative 


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 with one of them being a former student who later married the accused and played an active role in the operations, according to a few reports. 

The case has led to outrage and proactive calls for stricter steps to be taken to protect children and young adults from exploitation by individuals in positions of power. 

(With inputs from agencies)