India: Bengaluru tuition teacher arrested after eloping with 15-year-old student

Dubai: Bengaluru police has arrested a 30-year-old tuition teacher who had reportedly eloped with his 15-year-old student over a month ago, a media report said.

The man, already married and a father of a two-year-old child, had left a note on November 23 claiming he was in love with the teenager and planned to elope with her, police said.

The duo was located in a rented house near Mandya, where they had been living under the pretense of being a married couple. Acting swiftly on a tip-off, the police apprehended the man and rescued the girl, according to The Indian Express.

After weeks of being untraceable, a lookout notice was issued on January 3, with a reward of Rs25,000 announced for information leading to the suspect’s capture.

The breakthrough came when the house owner recognised the teacher’s photograph on television and informed a friend, who then alerted the authorities.

Despite being eligible for the reward, the house owner declined it, stating that reporting the matter was a moral duty.

The man has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and remanded to Bengaluru Central Prison.

Police investigations revealed that he had misled his neighbors, claiming to be estranged from his wife due to domestic issues.

The girl has been safely rescued and is receiving the necessary care.