The Thane Rural Police, who are investigating the case where child pornography videos were allegedly being shared on a WhatsApp group, have received information about at least four other such groups with Indian members.
The police last week arrested five members of the group, called BB Bad Boyz, from Mumbai and Thane and later a sixth accused from Nashik.
The matter came to light after a Bhayander resident, who was part of the group, approached the Navghar police and filed a case.
Mostly Indian members
Additional Superintendent of Police, Thane Rural Police, Atul Kulkarni said, “We have learned about at least four more such groups, including one called ‘Apne Risk Pe Join Karo’, and we are finding out more about them. These groups mostly consist of Indians and have about 100 to 150 members each.”
The Thane Rural Police are working in collaboration with police commissionerates in several cities to trace members and the administrator of the BB Bad Boyz group. “We are also exploring the possibility of the group being linked to child trafficking rings in the country,” Mr. Kulkarni said.
Across States
The FIR has been filed against 217 people based in cities in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and the six accused arrested so far have been remanded in judicial custody.
Police sources said further arrests are likely by the end of the week.
According to inquiries so far, the videos were being shared on the group since at least January 1. Inquiries have revealed that some members voiced objection to the child pornography videos, and some left the group as well.
The complainant, a young man in his 20s, had reservations about the content and hence consulted cyber expert Ritesh Bhatia, who helped him register a police complaint.