Mumbai teen caught after creating fake Instagram account of 14-year-old, harassing her

The boy, who was nabbed last month used his mother’s mobile phone without her knowledge.

A 15-year-old boy was caught by the Versova police, after he created a fake Instagram account of a 14-year-old girl he liked, and posted indecent pictures on the account.

Apart from the victim, it is important to counsel minors found in conflict with law, say experts. (HT File (Representational Image))

The boy, who was nabbed last month used his mother’s mobile phone without her knowledge. Officials said he met the girl about two years ago as they lived in the same area.

The police were alerted in December 2017. Officials found that after creating the fake account, he sent follow requests to the girls’ relatives and friends. “He also sent sexually explicit messages to her,” said police inspector Sanjay Pawar.

“We took the URL of the fake account and tracked the device which was using a certain WiFi for internet. We got the mobile number which turned out to be his mother’s. We followed the procedures of the Juvenile Justice Act after tracking the boy,” he said. The boy said he liked the girl.

Psychiatrist Harish Shetty said he had come across similar cases. “Intense anger and hate existed in the past too, but was expressed openly. With social media, the circle of safety has gone. They become emotionally blind, and use social media to vent the anger,” said Shetty.