Chhattisgarh Teen Charged with Bomb Threat Faces Sexual Assault in Mumbai Juvenile Facility

Mumbai, 22nd October 2024: A 17-year-old male from Chhattisgarh, who was detained last week for making bomb threats to three international flights, reportedly suffered sexual assault at a juvenile correction facility in Mumbai on Monday.

The Mumbai police confirmed that a case of child sexual abuse has been filed at the Dongri police station. According to police sources, the Chhattisgarh teen was allegedly assaulted by a 16-year-old inmate while he was using the bathroom in his barrack. Following the incident, staff at the correction home notified the Dongri police, leading to the filing of charges against the 16-year-old under sections 4, 8, and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

In light of this incident, officials at the children’s home have initiated an investigation to assess any security failures that may have contributed to the assault.

The victim, who is a Class 11 student, had been placed in the correction home last week after being arrested by Sahar police for allegedly posting threatening messages on social media regarding a bomb on three international flights departing from Mumbai, which resulted in significant delays and diversions.

Further investigation indicated that the boy’s motives for the threats stemmed from a previous financial dispute with a 31-year-old man, with whom he had previously run a mobile phone shop and incurred a loss of around Rs3 lakh. In addition, he had lodged a sexual assault complaint against this man under the Pocso Act. Notably, the boy had also been expelled from his school due to prolonged absenteeism.