4 held for sexually exploiting, blackmailing minor girl in K'taka

Chikkamagalur (Karnataka), Sep 16 Karnataka Police have arrested four persons on charges of sexual exploitation and blackmailing of a minor girl over her private video, police sources said on Thursday in Chikkamagalur district.

The Sakharayapattana police who investigated the case said that all accused persons are friends. The main accused was known to the girl. He used to meet her in another accused's house. During this time, he had made a video of her and started blackmailing her for sexual favours.

He had threatened that he would put her video on social media platforms if she refused to oblige him. Sources say, later he also made videos of sexual acts and blackmailed her to seek sexual favours for over two months.

The victim did not inform her parents about the issue fearing the accused would release the video. Somehow, the other accused came to know about the video and started taunting the girl in public. One of the accused knowingly allowed the main accused to use his house to exploit the girl.

During Ganesh Chaturthi, the gossip took a serious turn as the accused persons started making comments referring to the video. They also started circulating it in their close circles.

The victim's uncle came to know about the development and informed her parents after which the complaint was lodged and police took two persons including the main accused into custody. The other two disappeared fearing police action, later they were also taken into custody.

The police arrested two persons including the main accused on September 14. Other two were arrested on Thursday. All of them have been remanded to judicial custody. The police have booked a case under POCSO Act and IPC section 376 (rape).