MUMBAI: A 23-year-old man has been arrested from Pune after he threatened an underage girl from Malad to strip over a video call, filmed her and used the clip for sextortion.
The 17-year old girl stole money and valuables from home on a number of occasions to pay him off. The case came to light only recently when her mother discovered that valuables were vanishing from home and quizzed her. Kurar police have registered a case under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The girl is a class XII student. Earlier this year, she befriended an unknown man on Instagram. The two would chat regularly and the man, Sanjay Ohal, would also make video calls to her over a month-and-half between May and June. "On one occasion, Ohal asked her to strip during a video call. The girl was taken aback by his demand and refused. This infuriated Ohal who brought out a knife while on the video call with her. He threatened to slit his wrists and end his life in her presence if she did not give in to his demands," a police officer said.
Frightened, the girl agreed and began to undress over the video call. Unknown to her, Ohal used the screen recording app to film her in the nude. Later, he sent her the video clip and asked for money if she did not want the clip to go viral online. "Nervous about whom to confide in or where to get the money from, the girl started to steal from home. She stole jewellery from her mother's cupboard and sold it off for Rs 10000. After she transferred the sum to him, Ohal realised he could extort more money," said the officer. He kept asking her for more and the girl continued to steal from home. She paid him around Rs 58000 totally.
Recently, her mother discovered that jewellery was missing and suspected something amiss. She quizzed the girl who broke down and confided in her. The two then approached Kurar police station and an FIR was lodged. The police tracked Ohal's phone number to Pune and picked him up. "He is a driver and hails from Osmanabad. Our team brought him to Mumbai where he was charged and taken into custody," said senior inspector Prakash Bele.
