Teen raped by social media friend in Maharashtra’s Thane; FIR lodged

Thane: Police have registered an FIR against a 24-year-old man for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl residing in his neighbourhood in Maharashtra’s Thane district after they became friends on social media, an official said on Monday.

The accused and the victim, both residing in the same building in Badlapur area, became friends on Instagram in 2021.

Between October 2021 and June 2024, the accused allegedly raped and took objectionable pictures of her. The man threatened to share the pictures on social media and raped her on multiple occasions, the official from Badlapur police station said.

Fed up of the harassment, the victim lodged a police complaint, based on which a case was registered against the accused on Sunday under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said.