Navi Mumbai man blackmails teen with explicit video; FIR filed

Thane: A 15-year-old girl from an upscale housing society in Dombivli was allegedly blackmailed on Instagram, police said. The accused, identified as Chirag Gawande, obtained an obscene video of the minor and later sent it to her father, who works in South Africa, demanding money in exchange for silence.

A case was registered at Manpada Police Station, with police taking help from the cyber cell to search for the accused.According to police, the victim is a Class 11 student. Her father, who works in South Africa, had gifted her a smartphone to stay in touch. The girl downloaded the social media app on the device. Although her mother advised her to delete it, she did not comply. Around the same time, she became acquainted with Gawande on the app.In the complaint, the victim’s mother claimed Gawande gradually gained her daughter’s trust and managed to obtain her Instagram ID and password. A few days later, he allegedly began blackmailing her, saying: “I have some of your photos and also your password. If you don’t send me a semi-nude video, I will upload your pictures on Instagram and ruin your reputation.” Out of fear, the girl complied and sent him the video.

A police official said, “Accused then forwarded the obscene video to the girl’s father on Instagram. He later contacted him over the phone, allegedly saying, I have semi-nude videos of your daughter. Now let’s talk business. He then demanded money in exchange for keeping the videos private.”The girl’s father later informed his wife, who was staying in Dombivli, about the whole thing. She immediately approached Manpada Police Station and lodged a complaint.Taking the matter seriously, Manpada police have registered a case against Gawande under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act.Sandipan Shinde, Senior Police Inspector of Manpada Police Station, said, “We have come to know accused stays in Navi Mumbai and our team is searching for him.”