Mumbai: A 20-year-old college student from Gujarat’s Banaskantha district was allegedly raped repeatedly over a span of 16 months by seven individuals who blackmailed her with an explicit video, police said on Wednesday.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), one of the accused, identified as Vishal Chaudhary, befriended the victim on Instagram after she began attending college in Palanpur in 2023. In November 2023, he invited her for breakfast at a hotel, where he deliberately spilled food on her dress and took her to a room under the pretext of cleaning it.
Blackmail and Prolonged Exploitation
As per police reports, when the woman went to the bathroom to clean herself, Chaudhary barged in and filmed her while she was undressed. He then allegedly used the video to threaten her, warning that he would leak it online if she did not comply with his demands.
The FIR states that using this clip, the accused forced the student into repeated sexual assaults by him and his friends at multiple locations between November 2023 and February 2025. The woman eventually reported the abuse to the Palanpur Taluka Police, leading to a case being registered against six identified individuals and one unknown person.
Legal Action Underway
The accused have been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning repeated rape and criminal intimidation. They have also been charged under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, which deals with the publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form.
Authorities have launched an extensive search operation to apprehend the accused. An official from the Palanpur Taluka Police Station stated that efforts are underway to ensure swift action against those involved.
The case has sparked outrage, with demands for stringent legal action and greater protection for young women against online exploitation and sexual violence.
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