Mumbai: Software engineer held for sexual assault, extortion

MUMBAI: Jharkhand police, with the help of their counterpart in Andheri, arrested a software engineer in a case of sexual assault and extortion filed against him by a 21-year-old woman he befriended on social media. Saurabh Kumar (24), from Dahisar, was caught from his office on Saki Vihar Road after the Jharkhand victim filed a complaint against him for making their sexual act go viral on social media as she refused to pay him Rs 5 lakh.

Kumar had befriended the college student through social media in 2016 and when they got closer, she shared her photos with him. “Kumar often visited Jharkhand and recorded their sexual acts. He started demanding money in 2018,” said a police officer.

Andheri police senior inspector Mukund Pawar said they assisted Jharkhand police in tracking down the accused in the cyber case registered in Jamtara district.

The victim lodged a complaint after she learnt from friends that her sexual act was posted on social media. Kumar allegedly used a fake identity to create an account and upload the video. “Kumar and the victim came in contact through social media, they met and got into a relationship. The accused recorded the victim’s MMS, which he used to try and extort money. Further investigations are on,” superintendent of police (Jamtara cyber police) Shailendra Sinha told TOI.

The Jamtara team got a transit remand of Kumar after he was produced before a Bandra court on Saturday. Kumar has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (rape), 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt to commit extortion) and under Information Technology Act sections 66 (A) (sending offensive message), 66 (B) (dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource), 66 (C) (identity theft), 66 (D) (cheating by impersonation), 66 (E) (violation of privacy) and 67 (A) (publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act in electronic form).