Prayagraj: Rejecting his bail application, the Allahabad high court has directed the medical examination of a man booked under various sections of the Pocso Act for extracting a minor victim’s obscene photographs and continuously blackmailing her, observing that he does not appear to be a person of sound mind.“Considering the language and nature of the messages and photographs and videos posted by the accused on social media, this court is not inclined to release him on bail,” Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal observed in the order dated July 17.The chief medical officer (CMO), Kaushambi, is directed to conduct his mental examination and keep it on the record of this case before the district court concerned, he added.The court was hearing a bail application filed by the accused, Rahul Kumar Saroj, in a case registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 3/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, and Section 66E of the Information Technology (IT) Act at Manjhanpur police station in Kaushambi district.According to the prosecution, the victim had earlier lodged an FIR alleging that the accused obtained her obscene photographs by hacking her mobile phone and started blackmailing her. He also allegedly threatened her on social media. Police arrested the accused in the case.The victim stated in her statements recorded under Sections 180 and 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that despite their prior relationship, the accused used her obscene videos and photographs to blackmail her, demanding Rs 5 lakh by posting messages on Instagram and sending direct messages.During the hearing, the accused’s counsel argued that he had been in a relationship with the victim and was falsely implicated after he refused to marry her.However, opposing the plea, the state and the informant’s counsel produced before the court the messages allegedly sent by the applicant to the victim and her relatives, as well as the victim’s photographs posted on social media. Taking these messages and images into account, the court observed that the applicant was allegedly blackmailing the victim using her obscene photographs and videos. The court further noted that he had sent filthy and obscene messages not only to the victim but had also posted several photographs and videos on social media.
