Minor girl from Palghar raped by man she met on Instagram; hunt on for accused

Palghar: Police have launched a search for a man accused of kidnapping, raping and blackmailing a 17-year-old girl from Maharashtra's Palghar district after meeting her on Instagram, officials said on Tuesday.

The victim, a resident of Valiv in Palghar, became friends with the accused through the social media platform Instagram. Their friendship turned into a love affair, following which the victim eloped with the accused to Madhya Pradesh.

She lived with the accused between February and September 2025, during which time she was allegedly subjected to torture and sexual abuse, a police official said.

The victim later managed to escape and returned to her parents' home in September. The accused subsequently began posting objectionable content, including the victim's pictures, on social media platforms to malign her and force her to come back to him, he said.

Earlier, in February last year, following her disappearance, her family had lodged a case of kidnapping against the accused.

Based on a fresh complaint by the victim's sister, the police registered a case against the accused on December 28, 2025, under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 64 (rape), and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology Act, the official said.

The complaint did not specify the reason for the delay in reporting the crime.

Search was on for the accused, the police added.