Nagpur: Two men were arrested on Sunday for alleged sextortion and blackmail of a 14-year-old schoolgirl for more than a year. The accused — 25-year-old Himanshu Tondre and 32-year-old Gaurav Bhende — allegedly befriended the minor through social media, dating, and chatting applications. The two are in Hudkeshwar police custody remand now.Under the guise of friendship, they manipulated her into capturing and sharing explicit photographs in compromising positions. Once they obtained the images, the duo allegedly began blackmailing her, threatening to make the photos public unless she paid large sums of money or agreed to meet them for sexual favours.According to police, the girl was compelled to steal more than ₹50,000 from her home over time to meet their demands. Whenever she failed to pay promptly, the accused reportedly called her to secluded locations and pressured her for physical relations, police said.The family became suspicious after noticing frequent instances of cash going missing from the house. After careful observation, the parents approached the police. The cops conducted counselling sessions with the teenager who narrated her ordeal and led to the arrest of both suspects.Senior inspector Anamika Mirzapure of Hudkeshwar police station, who is leading the investigation, stated that there is possibility of a larger network preying on vulnerable minors through online platforms.The accused have been booked under stringent sections of Pocso Act, Information Technology Act, and various provisions of the BNS pertaining to extortion, criminal intimidation, and sexual exploitation of a minor.
