The Andheri police booked 10 teenagers, all of them minors, for allegedly forcing themselves on a 12-year old boy from their locality and blackmailing him into giving them money which he had to steal from his home.
The incident came to light last week after which the police registered a FIR. The accused have been sent to the Juvenile Detention Centre.All the accused are between 14 and 17 years of age and stay in the same location where the victim stays with his mother, who is a widow and works as a housemaid.
“This incident came to light last week when the victim’s mother found 700 in his pocket and asked him where he got so much money from. When the victim was not answering she checked the cupboard where she stores her savings and found money missing. She again asked him what he needed such a large sum of money for. After then, the victim broke down and told her the truth,” said an officer with the police.
The victim told his mother that around 6 to 7 months ago, two boys from the locality had cornered him while he was playing in the area and forced themselves on him. They later made him indulge in the same act and told some of their friends about it, who also took the opportunity to exploit the victim.
Six to seven months:
The abuse allegedly went on for the next six to seven months and the accused would take the boy to various spots to sexually exploit him. They told him that if he told anyone else about the abuse it would work against him as it would bring a bad name to him.
Police said-The accused started demanding more money from him and with no other option left the victim started stealing money in his home and give it to them. The victim’s mother after hearing his confession took him to Andheri police station where the police registered a FIR and sent the victim to a local hospital for a medical test.
By the next few days, the police conducted inquiries and booked all the 10 accused of unnatural sex under the Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The accused were sent to the Juvenile Centre in Dongri and the victim is currently with his mother but might need counselling due to the trauma he has undergone the police said.
