The Delhi Police Cyber Crime Cell (CCC) has arrested an 18-year-old for allegedly making the ‘Bois Locker Room’ Instagram group. (File photo)
The Delhi Police Cyber Crime Cell (CCC) has arrested an 18-year-old for allegedly making the ‘Bois Locker Room’ Instagram group where teenage boys from prominent South Delhi schools allegedly shared photos of girls and engaged in sexually explicit conversation, including threats of sexual assault. Police have also apprehended two students, of classes X and XI, of prominent South Delhi schools.
JCP (Special Cell) Neeraj Thakur confirmed that the alleged group admin has been arrested.
Additional PRO (Delhi Police) Anil Mittal said the CCC has asked for information about the alleged group and its members from Instagram.
“We are awaiting their report. The devices of the identified members of the group have been seized and sent for forensic analysis. The role of other members is being ascertained,” he said.
Sources said the 18-year-old was arrested from his Noida home after police questioned other group members.
“He appeared for his Class XII Board examinations this year. He told police he had created the group just to pass time during the lockdown. Initially the conversations were about their daily routine, but the nature of the chat changed when one of the members had allegedly posted the photo of a girl. This led to sexually explicit comments and more photos of girls being posted, including morphed ones,” said a source.
Police have so far found that there are 26 members in their group, but nine people had posted pictures and passed comments. They are from four South Delhi schools and a Noida school.
“The apprehended juveniles have not yet been produced before the juvenile justice board because of the lockdown.
They all have been sent with their parents, who have assured us that they will not leave the city,” a senior officer said, adding that their phones have been seized.
Purported screenshots from the group had been shared widely on Twitter and Instagram on Sunday. “We are also probing the alleged role of a girl and claims that some of the screenshots were edited. We are verifying all facts and things will get clearer as the probe progresses,” said an officer.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old, who leaked conversations from the group to girls who were being discussed there, told The Indian Express: “There are many such groups on Instagram, and the members add people quite randomly to get more ‘content’. A minor boy I know was added to the group even though he didn’t know anyone. He saw the photos and the comments and decided to leave the group, but only after taking screenshots.”
The 21-year-old, who studies in DU’s School of Open Learning, said one of the girls whose photos were shared is a close friend. “We tracked down 10 girls, most of them minors, and told them about the group and all that was happening there,” he said.