17-year-old boy apprehended in Delhi for stalking girls on Instagram, threatening to leak photos

The father and the daughter were counselled, the police said. “The girl disclosed that she had shared her private pictures and videos with a friend on Instagram and now he has been pressurising her to indulge in more inappropriate chats and send more of her private pictures,” the police said.

On the basis of the minor girl’s statement, a case was lodged.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said that during the investigation, details of the alleged Instagram profile and the IP address used to make the profile were obtained.

On the basis of the boy’s call detail records and information from local informers, the boy’s house was identified but he was not present at home at the time, the police said. His father was directed to produce his son before the police, following which he was apprehended, officials said.

The boy, who cleared Class 12 last year, is currently pursuing graduation, the police said.

During interrogation, he allegedly disclosed that he came in possession of private pictures of a few girls, following which he stalked the said victim and initiated a conversation with her. “He used to ask them to send their private pictures and when they rejected the demand, he used to threaten to leak their private photos with him…he had harassed several girls through the same modus operandi,” DCP Kalsi said.

He was arrested under sections 354A (sexual harassment) and 354D (sextortion) of the Indian Penal Code, sections 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act and sections 12 and 15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.