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.
Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal has also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The team led by Deputy Commissioner Rashmita Rao, includes members of the Child Welfare Committee and District Child Protection Officers to offer technical and legal assistance.
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Wednesday 15 Jan. 2025
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 said.
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 Rashmita 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.
More horror stories
More horror stories are emerging from the jailed psychologist-cum-counsellor’s residential clinic in East Nagpur with more survivors coming forward to share their trauma that continued uninterrupted for over a decade.
The counsellor would take girl students into his chamber late at night for therapies that went on well past midnight. Three offences have been registered at Hudkeshwar police station after a whistle-blower exposed the sordid saga two months ago.
Local media had highlighted the bizarre activities of the counsellor and how his wife and another accomplice, also booked in the case, are on the run.
Sources stated explicit pictures and videos of at least 18 girls were found in the cell phone gallery of the accused, who exploited girls, mostly minors. The psychologist-cum-counsellor, who claimed to be a gold medallist in his subject, lured parents to send their children to him for day-long sessions to ensure their personality and mental development that would enhance their academic performance. “The psychologist charged hefty amounts for his courses, which often totalled to Rs 9lakh annually,” said a source.
The source stated he would touch girls inappropriately in his chambers under the pretext of ‘acupressure’ to release their stress and other physical and mental problems. “The psychologist first collected detailed information on the family background and personal life of the girls and then won their confidence. Later, he would start making advances, beginning with touching girls, offering liquor, and eventually sexually exploiting them, stating such activities would release stress and increase focus on academics. He was able to convince the girls that a physical relationship was inescapable,” said the insider, adding the psychologist made videos and collected pictures of their intimate moments on his cell phone to blackmail them later.
Many of the survivors are married and are finding it difficult to lodge a formal police complaint, fearing social taboo. The insider stated the counsellor was associated with another expert who had a clinic near Shankar Nagar. “The counsellor later started his own residential clinic in East Nagpur, which quickly gained popularity, and many joined even from neighbouring districts of Chandrapur,” said the source, adding the psychologist-cum-counsellor always offered a colourless liquid to the girls, stating it was mandatory before therapies.
“The psychologist often did not allow families to speak to their children in his residential unit, stating the effect of his treatment would get diluted if they distracted them. This was probably done to ensure families remained oblivious to the abuse of their children,” said the source, adding the psychologist wanted to ensure he had active sexual partners.
