Goregaon teen dies by suicide after ex-boyfriend’s extortion threats; FIR for abetment

A 17-year-old girl in Goregaon died by suicide after her ex-boyfriend threatened to share morphed intimate photos unless she paid him. Police are investigating.

MUMBAI: A 17-year-old girl from Goregaon died by suicide on Wednesday after her former boyfriend threatened to circulate morphed intimate photographs unless she paid him. The Goregaon police have booked the accused for abetment to suicide under section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched a search for him.

Goregaon teen dies by suicide after ex-boyfriend’s extortion threats; FIR for abetment

According to police, the minor had been in a relationship with the accused, a youth from the same locality. In August, the two had eloped to Chennai before her family traced her and brought her back, instructing her to end all contact with him.

Investigators said the boy then edited obscene images of the girl and began extorting her, threatening to upload the photographs on social media if she did not pay him. Fearing exposure, the girl stole money from her home and handed it over to him.

When her father discovered the theft, he lodged a complaint at the Goregaon police station on 15 November. A non-cognisable (NC) offence was registered against the youth, and police issued him a warning.

However, officers said the girl had been struggling emotionally since the extortion began. On Wednesday, when her family members were out, she allegedly hanged herself at home.

“We have registered an FIR under section 108 of the BNS for abetment to suicide and are in the process of arresting the accused,” a Goregaon police officer said.