Bhubaneswar: The Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special POCSO Court in Jagatsinghpur has sentenced a youth named Aman Rajak to five years of rigorous imprisonment for uploading explicit photos of a minor girl on social media with the intent to harass her.

The conviction comes in a case registered by the Cyber Crime Police Station of the CID-Crime Branch in 2021, following a complaint filed by Prabesh Behera, a resident of Paradeep, who alleged that private images of his daughter had been circulated online without her consent.

According to the charges, while the victim, Preeti Sneegdha Behera, was preparing for medical entrance exams, she befriended Aman Rajak via Instagram. As their friendship deepened, they exchanged passwords. Rajak, however, allegedly changed her account credentials and later coerced her into sharing nude images, which he then posted from her Instagram account.

Even after the victim managed to deactivate her Instagram profile via the NCRP (National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal), Rajak allegedly continued his harassment by sending the explicit content directly to her father on WhatsApp.

The Crime Branch investigation confirmed Rajak's involvement through seized mobile phones, SIM cards, screenshots, and internet data linked to his location and identity. He was arrested on December 22, 2021, and charges were framed under multiple sections of the IPC, POCSO Act, and IT Act, including provisions relating to sexual exploitation of children and digital obscenity.

The court, after examining the nature and impact of the crime, held Rajak guilty and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment.

The Odisha Crime Branch has welcomed the verdict, stating that it sends a strong message against cyber abuse and online exploitation of minors.