Last year, the accused befriended the minor, who lived in his locality. He persuaded her to send him a nude picture via social media. When the girl refused, he began stalking her, the police said
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A 22-year-old man was arrested by the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar Police near Mumbai for allegedly circulating the photos of a minor girl from his locality and stalking her, reported news agency PTI.
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The accused had befriended the 17-year-old girl last year and persuaded her to send him a nude picture via social media. When the girl refused to send a nude video, he began stalking her, the police said.
The accused then circulated the girl's objectionable photo to her friends to defame her. He and his accomplice followed the girl to her home in the Kashimira area near Mumbai. Following this, the complainant approached the police, leading to the accused's arrest on Friday. He has been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for stalking and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Information Technology (IT) Act, PTI reported.
Delhi HC denies anticipatory bail to shopkeeper accused of sexually assaulting minor girl
The Delhi High Court (HC) has denied anticipatory bail to a shopkeeper accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor girl at his shop, PTI reported.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma remarked that the allegations were serious, the survivor's statement was consistent, and the investigation was at a crucial stage.
Therefore, the court dismissed the anticipatory bail application.
According to the prosecution, the accused repeatedly subjected the girl to sexual assault after she and her family moved to the neighbourhood in October 2023. It is alleged that he coerced her into visiting his shop by threatening harm to her family. In October last year, the girl confided in her mother about the assaults, leading to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In its judgment, the court rejected the argument that there was a delay in filing the FIR. The survivor did not initially disclose the incidents, but has remained consistent in her allegations, both in her original complaint and in her statement to the magistrate.
The applicant also argued that CCTV footage from the shop did not show any act of sexual assault during the last alleged incident. However, the court noted that the footage had been sent for forensic examination, and its authenticity and accuracy were yet to be determined.
"Until the forensic report is available, no conclusive inference can be drawn from the footage, and therefore, at this stage, it does not aid the case of the applicant," the court stated in its ruling passed on February 14.
"Considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case, including the age of the victim, the nature of the offence, and the possibility of tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses, this court finds no ground to exercise discretion in favour of the applicant," it concluded.
(With PTI inputs)
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