A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Assam’s Barpeta district on charges of raping a 14-year-old girl, filming it and sharing it on social media, police said on Monday.
The girl’s family members said that the incident came to light after the accused started blackmailing her with the video.
“They were having an affair and during this they became intimate. The accused allegedly filmed their intimate moments and according to the victim’s family members, he also shared it on social media,” an officer at Sarthibari police station said, adding that her family members shared the information.
The officer, who requested anonymity, said they are investigating the video and a case has been registered under Section 4 (penetrative sexual assault) and 14 (use of children for pornographic purposes) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
Several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) were also imposed, police said.
“This is a sensitive case and we are investigating the details thoroughly. We cannot share many details now,” the officer said.
The accused is a resident of the Balhaji area and works as a daily wage worker. He had been known to the victim for more than a year and the family members were not aware of him.
“Recently, she told us that a boy was blackmailing her and making intimate videos of her. We have lodged an FIR and are appealing to the police to remove the video from social media platforms,” the family members said on Saturday.
The police said that the statements of the accused, the victim and their family members were recorded, and a detailed report will be submitted to the court soon.
This is the third incident of sexual assault on minor girls in Assam in the past five days.
On July 8, an 8-year-old girl from Assam’s Sribhumi district was allegedly raped and murdered. The incident sparked a massive protest in Madanmohan area of Sribhumi.
On July 10, a 48-year-old Bihar resident was arrested in Assam’s Sivasagar on charges of raping a 12-year-old girl several times until she fell ill, police said on Saturday.
