While the entire nation is talking about justice for the Kolkata rape-murder victim, a concerning report has emerged from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, where a 37-year-old shopkeeper sexually abused several children, recorded videos of the assaults, and then blackmailed them for money.
After the incident came to light, the police registered an FIR against the man who ran a grocery store in the village. Six victims have been named in the FIR, four of whom are minors.
According to a report by NDTV, the accused targeted customers who visited his grocery store. He would offer them spiked drinks, which caused them to lose consciousness. Afterward, he sexually abused them and recorded the assaults. The accused later used these videos to blackmail the victims for money.
One victim told NDTV that he went to the store one day to buy something and was offered a cold drink. After drinking it, he fainted. When he regained consciousness, the accused showed him the video of the assault and demanded money. The victim informed his mother about the incident.
A family member of another victim shared with NDTV that her son had stopped eating, drinking, and speaking. The statements from the families reveal that the sexual abuse has deeply traumatised the victims.
Another man mentioned that his son left home for work and has since refused to return. "He doesn't even talk to us on the phone. He complains of headaches since the incident," he said.
"We only learned what happened when the police came to our home. My son had borrowed ₹3,000 a few days ago without telling us why. Now I know he gave the money to that man," NDTV quoted the mother of one of the victims as saying.
The police registered an FIR immediately after the incident came to light, but the accused remains at large, and a manhunt has been launched. The Kailash Satyarthi Foundation has pledged to fight for the victims, with Executive Director Rakesh Sengar stating they will pursue legal action against the accused. The FIR includes charges under sections for unnatural sex, criminal intimidation, and the POCSO Act.
