Girl, 15, Files First Complaint By Survivor In Amravati 'Love Trap' Case

A 15-year-old girl has come forward to file a complaint in the sexual exploitation case in Maharashtra's Amravati district, even as appeals are being made to other potential survivors to record their statements, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Saturday.

Police have arrested eight accused persons and seized multiple electronic devices, including seven mobile phones, a laptop, a hard disk and a tablet, he said.

"A 15-year-old victim from Nagpur has come forward, and her statement is being recorded," said Bawankule after visiting the office of the Amravati superintendent of police (SP). Bawankule is also the guardian minister of the district.

The seized electronic devices have been sent for forensic examination. "The report is expected soon," he said.

The police launched a probe after obscene video clips and photographs of minor girls surfaced on social media sites on April 11. They subsequently arrested eight persons, including prime accused Ayan Ahmed Tanveer Ahmed (19), who has been remanded in police custody till April 21.

Police had been urging the survivors to file formal complaints against Ayan Ahmed, a resident of the Paratwada area, but no one had come forward. While police had launched the probe on their own, the 15-year-old girl is the first complainant in the case, officials said.

Necessary precautions are being taken to protect her identity, they said.

Bawankule said authorities had acted promptly to curb objectionable material circulating on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was conducting a probe in the right direction.

The minister appealed to survivors to come forward without fear, assuring that their identities would be kept confidential and that the government would extend full support. He also urged citizens to share any additional evidence with the SIT, the SP or the government.

Bawankule said the state government has taken the incident very seriously. All those behind this crime would be tracked down wherever they are in the country, and strict action would follow, he said.

According to police, Ayan Ahmed allegedly used a rented flat owned by Manav Sugandhe on Kathora Road to exploit the female survivors. He also met them at three cafes on Kathora Road, in Achalpur and Paratwada, as well as in a garden near Wazzar dam, police had said earlier.

Officials said on Friday that police had deleted 41 social media accounts used for the circulation of the obscene photos and videos. A police official and two constables, who were seen celebrating the birthday of the prime accused, were also suspended, they had said.

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