Teenage girl gangraped over five-month: 7 Accused in Police Custody.

Kalyan POCSO Case: 7 Arrested for Blackmail, Gang Sexual Assault of Minor Girl After Video Leak

• Instagram Friendship Turns to Blackmail in Minor Assault Case

• Video Leak to Gang Assault

• Sextortion and POCSO

A shocking POCSO case has rocked Kalyan as seven men were arrested for blackmailing and gang-assaulting a 17-year-old girl after an intimate video was leaked, the Sprouts News SIT has uncovered. The heinous crime came to light after the Minor victim’s family members found objectionable videos of their daughter circulating online.

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Kalyan Minor Blackmail Case: Seven Accused in Police Custody

A shocking case of sexual assault, blackmail, and the exploitation of a minor has emerged from the limits of the Mahatma Phule police station in Kalyan, Thane district. According to an exclusive report by the Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT), seven young men have been arrested for allegedly blackmailing and repeatedly gang-sexually assaulting a 17-year-old student. The accused, identified as Rahul Bhoir, Deva Patil, Ajit Surwase, Gaurav Surwase, Harshal Polse, Jayesh More, and Kiran Surwase, were produced before a special POCSO court which has remanded them to eight days of police custody. The investigation reveals a disturbing pattern of predation initiated on social media.

The primary accused, Rahul Bhoir, allegedly befriended the minor victim through Instagram in April, and their acquaintance soon turned into a relationship. The Sprouts News Investigation Team has learned that Bhoir subsequently established a physical relationship with the girl and recorded a video of the act without her consent. This video became the primary tool for blackmail, used first by Bhoir himself to continue his sexual abuse and then shared with his associates to widen the circle of exploitation. The accused, reportedly from affluent families in the Murbad and Bhiwandi regions, used the threat of viral publication to coerce the victim into submission.

The Modus Operandi: From Instagram to Blackmail and Assault

The investigation outlines a calculated modus operandi where digital intimacy was weaponized for physical crime. After creating the illicit video, Rahul Bhoir shared it with his friend, Deva Patil. Patil then contacted the minor girl, threatening to leak and viral the video across social media platforms. Under this duress, he allegedly sexually assaulted her. This set a dangerous precedent, opening the floodgates for further abuse by the other accused.

The cycle of blackmail escalated systematically. The video was subsequently circulated among the other five accused: Ajit Surwase, Gaurav Surwase, Harshal Polse, Jayesh More, and Kiran Surwase. Each one, in turn, allegedly approached the victim with the same threat of making the video public. They demanded sexual favors as the price for their silence. The Kalyan police have registered charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for sexual assault, criminal intimidation, and conspiracy, along with stringent sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, given the victim is a minor.

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Police Investigation and POCSO Court’s Stringent Action

The Mahatma Phule police in Kalyan acted on the complaint filed by the victim, accompanied by her mother. The swift investigation led to the identification and arrest of all seven accused within a short period. The police are currently investigating the digital trail, including the Instagram chats and the transfer of the video file between the accused. The primary challenge is to establish the complete chain of events and gather concrete digital evidence to secure a conviction.

The special POCSO court in Kalyan has taken a serious view of the allegations, granting the police eight days of custodial remand for the accused. This custody is critical for the investigating officers to uncover the full extent of the crime, recover all copies of the video from the accused’s devices, and ascertain if there are more victims. The case has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the perils of online interactions for minors and the brutal consequences of digital blackmail.

Broader Implications on Cyber Safety and Minor Protection

This harrowing case from Kalyan raises urgent questions about the safety of minors on social media platforms and the effectiveness of safeguards. It underscores how predators can use platforms like Instagram to target vulnerable individuals, building trust before exploiting them. The incident serves as a stark warning to parents and guardians about the need for vigilant communication and education regarding online safety for teenagers.

Furthermore, the use of personally recorded content as a tool for blackmail, often referred to as “sextortion,” is a growing cybercrime trend. The Sprouts News Investigation Team emphasizes that this case is a critical test for the enforcement of cyber laws in conjunction with the POCSO Act. The outcome will be closely watched by legal experts and child rights activists, as it could set a precedent for handling similar technologically-facilitated sexual crimes against minors in the future. Sprouts News will continue to monitor the developments in this ongoing investigation.