Nagpur man held for raping minor he met on Instagram, made her pregnant
Police say a 21-year-old raped a 16-year-old college student he had befriended on Instagram, who was found to be four months pregnant
An Instagram friendship has turned into a case of alleged rape and pregnancy involving a minor girl in Nagpur, highlighting the risks minors face when befriending strangers online. A young man the 16-year-old student met on Instagram is accused of raping her. Some days later, when her health deteriorated and she was taken to hospital, a medical examination revealed she was about four months pregnant. It was only after this that her family learned of the entire episode and immediately approached the police.
MIDC police have registered a case against 21-year-old Manish Mohrale, a resident of Warora in Chandrapur district, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act. Police are now investigating the case in detail.
According to police, the victim is a first-year BA student at a college in the Sitabuldi area of Nagpur. She had come to know the accused through Instagram some time ago. Conversations that began on social media gradually turned into friendship, and the two grew closer. During this period, the accused allegedly planned to take the girl away with him.
According to the FIR filed with police, on April 30 the accused took the girl in a car to a secluded spot in Narmada Nagari in the Hingna area, where he allegedly raped her. The girl did not immediately tell her family what had happened, so the matter remained unknown to them for some time.
A few days after the incident, the girl's health gradually began to deteriorate, and her family took her to hospital for treatment. A medical examination there revealed she was pregnant. Once it was confirmed she was nearly four months pregnant, the family realised the full seriousness of the matter.
On learning this, the family lost no time in filing a complaint at the MIDC police station. Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the accused and began their investigation.
MIDC police are now examining the Instagram conversations between the accused and the victim, their meetings in person, and other aspects related to the case. Investigators are also trying to establish exactly when contact between the accused and the girl began, and what was discussed between them before and after the incident.
Since the case involves a minor girl, police have initiated action under the provisions of the POCSO Act. Police said further legal action will be taken based on facts that emerge during the investigation.
