Chandigarh, May 18 — In a stern message against rising cybercrimes targeting teenagers, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has denied anticipatory bail to a juvenile accused of cyber blackmail, extortion, and sexual harassment of a 15-year-old classmate. The girl was managing her illiterate grandmother’s ₹2 crore land compensation account, from which over ₹80 lakh was siphoned off.
Justice Namit Kumar, while hearing the matter, said that the gravity of the offence far outweighed the petitioner’s age. “The fact of petitioner being a child-in-conflict with law could not appeal to this court in actuality,” he remarked, observing that such acts, if left unchecked, would only embolden “the increasing menace of cybercrimes” against youth.
The case, registered under POCSO Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Sector 10 Police Station, Gurugram, reveals that the minor accused, a classmate of the victim, allegedly used morphed obscene photos to blackmail the girl and extort money through platforms like WhatsApp and Snapchat. The victim had been forced to make repeated payments between February and December 2024.
Justice Kumar said there was “crystal clear” evidence—chat records, threats, and payment trails—against the juvenile. He stressed that custodial interrogation was essential to recover the blackmailed money, seize the phone used for the crime, and unravel the modus operandi.
“The petitioner cannot be considered innocent… there is ample documentary evidence showing her involvement,” the court noted, adding that if granted bail, she may tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.
Justice Kumar concluded, “Granting protection in such cases would send the wrong message to society, especially to the vulnerable lot of teenagers and youth being trapped in such online frauds.”
