A 37-year-old married driving instructor is facing allegations of sexually touching his 23-year-old female student. During the proceedings, he was seen crying as he denied the accusations and stated that his only intention was to adjust the mirrors, rather than to fondle her breasts. This is exclusive information.
A driving instructor accused of groping a student broke down in tears, saying he is “devastated” by the allegations, saying he accidentally brushed her breasts while adjusting the car mirror.
Samir Basnet, 37, has been charged with two counts of sexually touching a 23-year-old woman without her consent while teaching her to drive around Sydney at around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday 31 January.
The woman reported the alleged incident to police, who arrested Basnet at Hornsby police station, in the northwest of the city, just before 12:00 noon the following day.
But Basnet, a married father who immigrated to Australia from Nepal, told Daily Mail Australia it was all an innocent misunderstanding.
Basnet, the owner of the Hornsby-based company SAM Driving School, said he was surprised by the charges and that his alleged touching was “unintentional”.
Samir Basnet, 37, (pictured) is accused of sexually touching a driving student
“I’m devastated,” he told Daily Mail Australia. ‘This is the first time I’ve been accused.
‘I have a family and it is having a severe impact on my daily life.’
Basnet claimed that he told the woman twice to adjust the mirror herself, but when she was unable to do it correctly, he leaned over the steering wheel to do it himself.
He said that he “could have accidentally touched her, but it wasn’t intentional.” She said that once she realized the student was offended, she immediately apologized.
The father-of-one said he did not expect the incident to become a police report and did not appreciate that there might be cultural differences in personal space.
That was not taught to him in his 30-hour driving teacher training course in Australia, he said.
“I’ve never done anything wrong,” he said.
‘I don’t do anything wrong to my new drivers.’
Basnet is a married father who immigrated to Australia from Nepal.
Opened SAM Driving School in Hornsby in late 2020
According to online advertisements, the school “offers the best value for money” and “your safety is our responsibility.”
Over the past two and a half years, the school has attracted hundreds of new drivers from across the region, eager to increase their registration hours.
Lessons are conducted via a white Mazda, with the company slogan: “Driving Is Easy When You’ve Got The Right Teacher” printed on a roof-mounted sign.
The driving school’s Facebook business page, which has a five-star rating from 19 reviews, is awash with photos of students posing proudly with red P plates after passing their license exams.
‘I passed the test on the first try with only 2 classes. Would surely recommend it to anyone looking for classes in Hornsby’ wrote one woman in reviews.
“Best instructor with polite and calm manners I’ve ever met,” said another woman.
‘I was looking for the best instructor for a long time, I finally got Sam’s driving school and now I feel absolutely more comfortable and safe while driving with him.
‘If anyone is looking for a qualified instructor with a reasonable price I will highly recommend Sam’s Driving School. I’m sure you won’t regret it [it].’
As of Monday, the page indicates that the school is “temporarily closed.”
Basnet is due to appear in Hornsby Local Court on February 22.
Basnet said he would defend the charges when the matter goes to court.