- Class 12 girl was kidnapped, raped, and tortured for two days in Nagpur
- She was lured by a 20-year-old student she met on Instagram and held captive
- Victim found tied, injured, and with a severed wrist; accused held with knife
A Class 12 student, who is the daughter of a senior official, was allegedly kidnapped, raped, and brutally tortured in Nagpur for two days by a 20-year-old student whom she had befriended on Instagram, with the police rescuing her and arresting the accused on Tuesday.
According to the police, the 16-year-old survivor had been in touch with the accused through Instagram, Snapchat, and some gaming platforms.
The incident began on Sunday - which was celebrated as Friendship Day - when the 16-year-old survivor left her home, informing her parents that she was going to a mall with her friend. However, when she did not return, her family tried to get in touch with her, but her phone was switched off. Upon discovering that the girl had not met any friends, her family filed a police complaint.
The police examined the girl's call detail records and social media accounts, which led them to suspect the accused.
How the police tracked the accused
Investigation revealed that the man was identified as Nirbhay alias Akash Madhav Pakhre, a resident of Maharashtra's Thane. He had been studying Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and lived in a rented flat in Nagpur. His mother is a renowned doctor. While there were reports of his relative being a senior IPS officer, the police have turned down the claims.
Subsequently, they obtained his phone number and contacted his family.
A Thane police team met with the accused's parents at his home and asked his mother to call her son.
When the accused got to know about a police officer speaking to his mother, he panicked and pressured the girl to call her parents and tell them everything was fine. This call confirmed their location to the police. A while later, the accused ordered food delivery online. The police went with the delivery boy to confirm the address.
The Nagpur police then laid a trap and rescued the girl.
Tied to bed, stab wounds
When the police broke down the door where the survivor was confined, she was found injured, naked, and tied to the bed, while the accused was seen holding a knife. The survivor had multiple cut and stab wounds on her body, and had a severed wrist.
The cops subsequently arrested the accused.
According to the police, had they waited a little longer, the accused would have killed the girl.
"When the police arrived at the scene, they witnessed a brutal and horrific scene from the window. The victim had been sexually and physically abused for two days. Her hand was severed. A sharp knife was found at the scene. The accused was preparing to kill her," Rashmita Rao, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 4, said.
Investigation revealed that the accused had taken the girl's obscene photos and threatened to make them viral. He had also threatened to kill her entire family.
A case was filed against the accused under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, including rape, kidnapping, and attempted murder. Police are investigating whether there are additional suspects in the case, or whether the accused has similarly sexually and physically abused any other girls.
The knife and other incriminating materials used by the accused to torture the survivor have also been seized.
The accused's lawyer, however, claimed that he and the survivor were together because of a love affair and that the girl had cut her own hand. He also argued that the girl went to the accused's hideout of her own free will, denying any involvement in a kidnapping.
The accused is currently in police custody, where he has been demanding a comfortable bed and mosquito repellent, officials said.
The survivor is undergoing treatment and counseling due to the severe trauma.
