Kolhapur sexual exploitation case: NCW seeks report in 7 days

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of a report on alleged large-scale sexual exploitation of women and minor girls in Maharashtra's Kolhapur. The case came to light after a 22-year-old man was arrested for allegedly forcing a young woman to have physical relations by threatening her that he would end his life if she did not agree, an official said. The commission said its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar directed the Maharashtra Director General of Police to take immediate and stringent action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology Act. Rahatkar has also asked to identify all victims, arrest the accused and any accomplices, ensure removal of all related objectionable content from online platforms and carry out a thorough cyber forensic investigation. The NCW has also sought details on steps taken for victim protection, counselling, medical assistance and rehabilitation support, along with measures to prevent such exploitation and blackmail networks in the future. A detailed action taken report has been sought within seven days, it added. ''The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of a deeply disturbing report regarding large-scale sexual exploitation of women and minor girls in Kolhapur, Maharashtra,'' the NCW said in a post on X. In a statement, the commission said the accused, who allegedly lured women and minor girls through social media, sexually exploited them, recorded explicit content and used it for blackmail, indicating a possible wider criminal network. The NCW strongly condemned the 'heinous incident', saying such acts cause severe physical and psychological trauma and create fear and insecurity among women and families, while also raising concerns about digital safety and cyber monitoring.

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