Mumbai, October 27: In a disturbing case of blackmail and sexual harassment, a 20-year-old man was arrested in south Mumbai, while his friend remains at large. The two allegedly blackmailed and sexually harassed an 18-year-old college student over a period of several months. Police revealed that the accused, an acquaintance of the victim, threatened to circulate explicit images of her on social media and show them to her parents if she refused to comply with his demands. The harassment reportedly began in May 2023.

According to the police, the victim, a first-year commerce student from a south Mumbai college, was introduced to the 20-year-old in July 2022 through a female friend. Initially, the accused frequently picked her up from dance classes, eventually forcefully kissing her in a car in May 2023. He secretly recorded this incident and later used it to blackmail her, repeatedly demanding that she kiss and hug him or he would share the video with her family and online. Cuttack Shocker: Naked Youth Sexually Abuses Woman, Masturbates in Front of Her in Odisha; Video of Disgusting Act Goes Viral.

On October 17, the accused informed her he would be near her college, and the next day, he and his friend took her to a nearby garden. There, his friend recorded a video while the 20-year-old attempted to physically harass her. Traumatised, the victim revealed her ordeal to her mother, who then accompanied her to the police. Odisha Horror: 21-Year-Old Woman Gang-Raped by 3 Men in Nayagarh Forest in Front of Fiance, Accused Film Act and Share Video on Social Media.

A senior police inspector confirmed the case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012. The accused was arrested on Friday, while police are working to locate his accomplice.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 26, 2024 05:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).