23-yr-old from Gujarat held for sending obscene messages to Mumbai teenager

After arresting a 23-year-old Harish Trivedi from Gujarat for sending obscene videos and photos to a minor girl, the MIDC police is looking for three more accused in the same case. The police is probing whether they are part of a gang who harasses women on social media sites.

An officer privy to the investigation said, “Apart from Trivedi, there are three more men -- Rahul, Rohan and Atul -- who were sending the obscene messages, photos and videos to the minor victim on her social media. We are trying to trace them through Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and mobile tower locations.”

The father of Andheri-based minor girl had registered an First Information Report (FIR) at MIDC police station on October 18 after he learnt that some unknown men have sent vulgar messages, nude video clips and obscene photos to his daughter.

The duo – Trivedi and the minor girl – had been texting each other since September until her father caught her early this month, said the officer. He also sent her friend request on her Instagram account

“Trivedi was the last man among these four perverts who sent vulgar messages to a minor girl on her WhatsApp. He was trying to blackmail her emotionally to seek sexual favour. Her father got to know about the messages and the case was registered,” said the officer.

None of the boys met the victim, according to the officer, who added, “They met each other in the virtual world. Trivedi has told us that he got victim’s mobile number from a porn website and the duo started chatting on WhatsApp. He also sent her friend request on her Instagram account. We are trying to check if all these four men are part of a group who harasses females on social media.”

Tech-savvy Trivedi, son of Gujaratbased educationist, is in police custody till Friday. The police have seized the mobile phones of Trivedi and victim, and sent to Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina for further investigations.