Online Friendship Turns Into Terrifying Trap for Teen

A chilling incident has come to light in Bengaluru, where a Class 10 student allegedly fell victim to a horrifying ordeal orchestrated by someone he considered an online acquaintance and their associates. The 16-year-old boy was reportedly stripped, filmed, and subsequently blackmailed following a meeting on April 5th.

The boy's mother, who filed a formal complaint on April 25th, recounted the profound distress her son exhibited upon returning home after the encounter. He retreated into himself, locking himself in his room, a clear indication of the trauma he had endured.

According to the mother's account, a female friend of her son is suspected of having played a role in setting up the attack. The complaint details how her son, after befriending a person named Afridi (name changed) on social media, met him on that fateful day and returned home deeply disturbed.

Police reports indicate that the boy eventually confided in his mother after persistent encouragement. He revealed that Afridi and a group of individuals allegedly threatened to disrobe him. When he resisted their demands, they forcibly stripped him and coerced him into recording a false video statement. In this fabricated video, he was made to claim that he had taken inappropriate pictures of girls and extorted a significant sum of money from one of them.

The complaint further revealed that the boy had met Afridi on a few prior occasions. Approximately six months before the incident, he had lent his earbuds and mobile phone to Afridi, but only the phone was returned.

Despite the Class 10 student distancing himself from Afridi, their paths crossed again on April 5th near the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) in Bengaluru, while the boy was riding his two-wheeler. Afridi reportedly entered the boy's vehicle and directed him to the parking area of a residential building, where five of Afridi's companions were waiting. This group allegedly threatened to disseminate the video on social media platforms and share it with his peers unless he paid them ₹10,000 by the following morning. They released him only after warning him against informing his mother or the authorities about the incident.

The boy's mother explained her delay in reporting the crime, stating that she feared for her son's safety and well-being.

A senior police official stated that the ages of the alleged perpetrators are currently unknown, and efforts are underway to locate and apprehend the suspects involved in this disturbing case.

Law enforcement has registered a case invoking several sections of the law, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, the Information Technology Act, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to assault with intent to dishonour, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, and extortion.