In Meerut Shocker, shopkeeper sexually abused children and filmed videos

Meerut:

A man in the Indian state of Meerut in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is said to have sexually abused several children and young adults in a village and filmed the act in order to then blackmail them for money, police said on Tuesday.

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the 37-year-old man, who ran a grocery shop in the village. The FIR names six victims, four of whom are minors.

The accused targeted those who came to his shop to buy goods, locals said. He offered the victims narcotic drinks, sexually abused them and filmed the act, they added. He then used the videos to blackmail the children and extort money from them by threatening to publish the videos.

“One day, I wanted to buy something from his shop. He offered me a cold drink. After drinking it, I fainted. He showed me a video he had taken of me and demanded money from me. A few days later, I told my mother what had happened,” one of the victims told NDTV.

NDTV also spoke to the families of the victims, who said the sexual assault had left their children severely traumatized. “My son has stopped eating and drinking. He has become silent and does not speak to anyone,” said the mother of one of the victims.

Another man said his son has now left home to work near Delhi but refuses to return home. “He doesn’t even talk to us on the phone,” he said.

“It was only when the police came that we learned that this had happened to my son. My son is very ashamed. He says he will never come to the village again. A few days ago he had asked for 3,000 rupees. Now we know that he gave the money to this man,” said the mother of one of the victims.

The families say they have not left their homes since the incident became known for fear of being embarrassed by their neighbors.

Some victims also claim that the accused had been sexually abusing children for years, but that the village only learned about it when a video of his assault on a victim appeared on social media.

“He has been abusing my son for the last three to four years. We had no idea about it. He threatened to kill my son, he held a gun to his head and demanded money. When we suspected for a few days that money was missing from the house, we asked him, but he said nothing, he just remained quiet. He hardly went to school and did not eat or drink anything. Once he tried to take his own life,” said the mother of one victim.

Angry parents are demanding harsh punishment for the accused, who has been missing since charges were filed on August 19.

Locals claimed he was an alcoholic and lived with his mother, wife, daughter and nephew. Police say they have been searching for him for eight days but have not been able to find him yet.

“As soon as the matter came to light, a complaint was filed. We have also offered counselling to the children. Their statements are also being recorded. We are conducting raids at several places to nab the accused. He will be arrested soon,” said senior police officer Kamlesh Bahadur.

The Kailash Satyarthi Foundation has also taken note of the case and said it will fight for the victims. “Our foundation will lead the legal battle against the accused and demand justice for the children,” said Rakesh Sengar, executive director of the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation.

The FIR was registered under sections relating to unnatural sexual intercourse, criminal intimidation and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.