Kolkata Teen’s Social Media Lure Becomes a Brutal Betrayal

A horrifying crime has shaken Kolkata, where a 16-year-old schoolgirl was allegedly gang-raped by three college students she met through social media. The assault, which took place on December 19 in a Golpark guest house, was filmed by the perpetrators, who used the footage to silence her with threats. Three suspects—Soham Banerjee (18), Rishi Agarwal (19), and Aryan Mishra (20)—have been arrested, while a fourth remains at large.

The Class VIII student, who struggles with ADHD and borderline personality disorder, was drawn into a seemingly innocent Instagram group called 'Sexy 2.0.' There, the accused groomed her with promises of lunch and a movie. On the day of the crime, her mother dropped her off at Lake Mall, believing she was meeting friends. Instead, the group coerced her into arranging money via UPI from her father, who was abroad, to book guest house rooms and buy alcohol. What followed was a nightmare. Rishi allegedly raped her first, and when she sought help from the others, Soham locked her in a room, declaring his intent to follow suit. The group took turns assaulting her, turning violent when she resisted. Battered and traumatized, she was sent home on an app-based bike, warned of dire consequences if she spoke out.

The girl’s father, a London-based software engineer, filed a police complaint on Monday after returning to Kolkata. The delay stemmed from the family’s fears for her mental health and the stigma surrounding such crimes. One of the accused reportedly began sharing videos of her with her friends, compounding her distress. Charges include aggravated penetrative sexual assault under POCSO, gang rape, voyeurism, and criminal intimidation. Police have seized mobile phones and cash memos for forensic analysis, and the girl’s medical examination confirmed the assault.

This gut-wrenching case underscores the dangers lurking in online spaces, where predators exploit trust to devastating ends. As the investigation unfolds, Kolkata demands justice for a young girl whose innocence was shattered in an act of unthinkable cruelty.