The city civil and sessions court on Saturday granted bail to a 20-year-old college student who morphed a minor’s pictures from her Instagram account onto pornographic content.
The accused uploaded the morphed videos and pictures of the girl on his Instagram account, and threatened to make them go viral. He also sent her similar messages on Snapchat, after which the victim lodged a complaint with police.
The accused confessed that he had done this to two more victims, and was arrested on October 24 by the Mumbai Crime Branch. He was charged under Sections 354 D (stalking) 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code, Sections 12 (punishment for sexual harassment) and 14 (punishment for using child for pornographic purposes), 15 (punishment for storage of pornographic material involving child) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences and Section 67A (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form) and 67B. (Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.
Advocate Mithilesh Mishra, who appeared for the complainant, did not oppose the bail plea, but said the boy needed psychological help and was too young to be in jail.
Judge Bharati Kale granted the bail on ₹25,000 cash bond, and directed the boy to visit LT Marg police station every Monday and Friday till the investigation was over, and to not leave the city till then.
