12-YEAR-OLD GIRL STEALS ₹5L FROM HOME FOR HER ‘BOYFRIEND’

MUMBAI: A case has been registered against a young man for allegedly befriending a 12-yearold daughter of a businessman to extort hefty amounts. According to Nagpada police, the accused clicked her nude pictures and started blackmailing the minor, who out of fear, stole ₹5 lakh along with gold and diamond jewellery from her house to meet the extortion demands.

Police officials said the girl met the accused, whom she knew only by his first name, Aman, outside her school in 2019. “The girl studies at a leading English medium school and met Aman outside her school. He befriended her, took her to a room in Nagpada, where he clicked her nude pictures,” said a police officer from Nagpada police station.

Later on, he started blackmailing her with nude photos. The girl initially stole ₹3 lakh from her house and later an amount of ₹2 lakh and gave the money to the accused.

“She also started stealing jewellery, including a diamond ring, necklace, neck diamond set, diamond bangles, gold chain and gold locket from the house and handed it over to Aman. The family suspected something was wrong after the jewellery and cash went missing,” said the police officer.

They reported the theft to the police. During the probe, the officials questioned the girl, but nothing came to the fore. However, when they took her into confidence, she confessed.

“She narrated her story, revealing how Aman was blackmailing her and had even locked her once in the room and how he had threatened to make her photos and video public if she failed to bring more money,” said the police officer.

The police have registered a case against the accused for extortion, and kidnapping under the Indian Penal Code and for sexual assault under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.