Class 12 girl held captive, blackmailed, raped by Instagram friend for 24 hours in Nagpur

A Class 12 student was allegedly held captive, tortured and repeatedly sexually assaulted for over 24 hours in a rented apartment in Nagpur’s Dighori area before police rescued her during a late-night raid, officials said.

The accused, 20-year-old Nirbhay Pakhare, a business management student from Thane and the son of two doctors, allegedly befriended the girl through a fake Instagram profile under the name “Akash Mehra.” Police said he gained her trust online, obtained explicit photographs and later used them to blackmail her into meeting him.

Investigators allege the accused had previously assaulted the girl and rented the Dighori apartment to continue abusing her during visits to Nagpur. When the girl failed to return home, her family filed a missing person complaint at Hudkeshwar police station.

Police traced the accused through the victim’s Instagram activity, phone records and a food delivery trail. During the raid around 11 pm on Monday, officers found the girl allegedly tied to a bed with visible injuries. She was rescued and rushed to a government hospital for treatment, while the accused was arrested at the scene.

Police claim the victim was repeatedly sexually assaulted and filmed during her captivity. The accused has been remanded to two days of police custody.

Investigators are examining his mobile phones, Instagram account and other electronic devices to determine whether he was involved in similar offences. A forensic team is collecting DNA, fingerprints and digital evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.