Navi Mumbai: Social media friend booked for molesting teen girl from Panvel

The Navi Mumbai police have detained a man from Nashik for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl and demanding Rs 50,000 in exchange for withholding her images off social media, an official said.

He is not arrested yet. The victim, a resident of Panvel in Raigad district, became friends with the man on social media, he said. However, the man threatened to reveal their friendship to the girl’s parents and forced her to send her photos and videos in the nude, the official said quoting the FIR.

He also created a fake account on Instagram in the name of the girl. The man travelled to Panvel from Nashik and also clicked selfies with the girl, the official added.

Police have registered a case under sections 387 (Putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion) 354 (assault or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage her modesty), 354 (d) (stalking), 506 (threat be to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO Act.