In a swift and coordinated operation, the MP Nagar police in Bhopal have arrested five individuals accused of the kidnapping, brutal assault, and public humiliation of a 16-year-old minor. The arrests were made within 24 hours of the complaint, which was initially filed at Gautam Nagar police station on April 18.
The accused have been identified as Arham alias Azim (21), Shaan alias Umair alias Decent (18), Shanu alias Ashim (40), Mohammad Altaf (23), and Arbaaz Sheikh (22). All five face charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Police officials revealed that the incident was rooted in an old personal dispute. The main accused, Arbaaz Sheikh, was reportedly enraged after the minor met another jailed associate, Nadeem alias Bachcha. Acting on this grudge, the group abducted the minor on March 21 from a coffee shop near Chetak Bridge.
The victim was allegedly stripped, physically assaulted, and filmed by the accused, who later made the video viral on social media. They also blackmailed and threatened the minor to prevent him from speaking out.
Due to the sensitive and serious nature of the case, it was promptly transferred to MP Nagar police, who initiated a high-priority investigation. Teams raided multiple locations, analyzed Call Detail Records (CDR), reviewed CCTV footage, and relied on inputs from informers to track down the suspects.
Within a day, all five accused were apprehended from various parts of Bhopal. Arham was caught in Eintkhedi, Shaan in Shahjahanabad, Shanu in Kokta, Altaf in Aishbagh, and Arbaaz—already incarcerated in another case—was named as a conspirator in this assault as well.
The accused have been booked under Sections 140(3), 140(4), 296, 115(2), 118(1), 351(3), 3(5), 61(2) of the BNS, along with relevant sections of the POCSO and IT Acts.
The case had sent shockwaves across the city due to the heinous nature of the crime and the misuse of social media to further traumatize the victim.