550-page chargesheet filed in Nagpur case of teen held captive in Dighori flat; bail refused

Police have filed a 550-page chargesheet against a 19-year-old man from Thane who is accused of keeping a 16-year-old girl locked up in a rented flat in Dighori, Nagpur, and subjecting her to severe physical and sexual violence. The accused has spent more than 70 days in Nagpur Central Jail since his arrest, and his plea for bail has been turned down. Police are now working to have the case heard on a fast track under the POCSO Act, the law meant to protect children from sexual offences.

The chargesheet was submitted in court by Hudkeshwar police during the last week of September. It carries the depositions of 40 witnesses along with the material gathered over the course of the probe. The investigation is not wrapped up, though. Forensic reports on the electronic devices seized during the raid have yet to come in, and the police say they will submit a supplementary chargesheet once those reports reach them.

Investigators believe the digital material may prove important in fixing the order in which events unfolded. It may also show whether the accused harmed anyone else, and it could shed light on where he went and what he did. Officers are going through the seized devices to look for anything that would make the prosecution's case stronger.

The matter came to light on August 3, when Hudkeshwar police freed the girl from the flat in Dighori. She is alleged to have been held there for over 24 hours. When officers walked in, they found her tied to a bed, bleeding and barely clothed.

The accused was taken into custody on August 4. Following his arrest, he claimed that the police had tortured him and brought this to the notice of the court. He was then admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment, and once discharged he was lodged in Nagpur Central Jail, where he remains in judicial custody.

The court's refusal of the bail application moved by his lawyers is being seen as a serious setback for him. His defence had also asked for the case to be moved to a different court, but the Principal District Judge declined that request too.

Meanwhile, efforts to help the girl rebuild her life are continuing. Psychologists and counsellors arranged by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) have been working with her, and she has gone back to school and begun preparing again for her examinations. The CWC has further recommended counselling for her family along with her, so that they can deal with the fallout of the incident. A source said the support is having a positive effect on her.

The chargesheet includes the findings of her medical examination and an account of the circumstances in which she is alleged to have been confined. The forensic analysis of the seized devices is regarded as the next major step. Police are concentrating on retrieving and studying the digital evidence, which may open fresh leads and establish whether there are other victims. Officials say the findings could add weight to the case as it heads towards trial, but any further allegations would have to be investigated separately and verified before being accepted.