Illustration for representational purpose

NEW DELHI “I love you,” read a message on Mahender’s (name changed) phone. It was from Father Jon , the owner of the NGO where Mahender had volunteered to teach the piano to three children. Jon had claimed he had rescued these children. The 18-year-old Mahender was inspired by Jon’s fight against human trafficking and acceded to his request to teach the children.

Jon claimed he was impressed by Mahender’s piano skills and asked him to stay back after classes for meetings. But Mahender soon found out that it was just a ploy by Jon to sexually assault him. The teenager who now studies at a prestigious Delhi University college had met Jon in March when he was in Class XII. The teen alleged that Jon assaulted him many times, and threatened to implicate him in a sexual crime if he went to the police.

DCP (east) Pankaj Singh said they were investigating if Jon was involved in more such crimes. “He was sent to judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate,” said DCP Singh.

Mahender told the police that after teaching the children for a few months, he left for Nainital to appear for Class XII examinations. He returned in May. He said Jon contacted him again and offered to keep him as a permanent volunteer at his NGO, For The We. Jon would text Mahender, professing his love for him. But he would assault him often after locking him up in the classroom. He would also be beaten with a belt or stick if he resisted. Mahender’s ordeal lasted two months.

The survivor said that while joining the NGO, Jon had made him sign an agreement that prevented him from using social media or eating non-vegetarian food. He would be rebuked and even assaulted if Jon found him talking to his friends. When he stopped going to the NGO, unable to bear with the torture, Jon threatened to frame him in a case of rape or sodomy of a child and send him to jail and destroy his career. Jon had indeed filed a case against Mahender at Kamla Market police station.

Neighbours said that Jon had gone to the police earlier as well. They said when his landlord asked him to pay the house rent, Jon framed him in a case of assault. The landlord, Vijender, claimed that ever since Jon started living in the apartment in East Vinod Nagar, all the cheques he gave him for rent were dishonoured by the bank. “I rebuked him one day, but he threatened to register a case against me and called the police,” Vijender said.

He said that Jon had taken up the apartment last year claiming that he would be staying with his brother, but eventually he kept bringing in children he allegedly rescued. Jon said he was from Chhattisgarh.

