Rape accused demands pizza, premium meals, comfortable bed in police lock-up

A Nagpur teen arrested in an abduction and rape case has demanded pizza, premium meals and comfortable bed in police custody while refusing to cooperate with investigators, leaving the probe at a standstill.

In Short

• Accused refuses share phone passwords, medical examination
• Survivor rescued from rented flat after over 24 hours in captivity
• Investigators said accused used fake Instagram profile to lure minor

The 19-year-old accused in the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl has been demanding special amenities in police custody, complaining about the dingy walls and foul-smelling toilet in the lock-up while refusing to cooperate with the investigation, officials said.

The accused, identified as Nirbhay alias Akash Madhav Pakhare, was arrested after police rescued the 16-year-old girl from a rented flat in Nagpur late on Monday. According to police, the survivor, who is a daughter of a senior government official, had been held captive for over 24 hours.

Investigators said the accused has been uncooperative since his arrest, hampering efforts to recover crucial digital evidence and advance the probe.

Pakhare has refused to undergo a medical examination or receive treatment and has also declined to reveal the passwords to his mobile phone and the survivor's phone, both of which were allegedly in his possession during her captivity.

Instead, the accused has complained about the conditions inside the lock-up, a police official said. The accused has complained that the cell has dingy walls and a foul-smelling toilet and demanded pizza for breakfast, premium food for dinner, a comfortable bed and mosquito repellents while in custody.

The youth has been consistently stonewalling investigators, leaving police in a fix.

The case came to light after the 16-year-old went missing on August 2. Her family lodged a complaint at the Hudkeshwar police station, following which investigators used technical surveillance to trace her location. Police broke open the door of the rented room around 11 pm on Monday and rescued her.

"The girl was lying on a bed with her hands and legs tied. The accused was standing nearby with a belt in his hand, while a knife was found near the bed. The girl had several injury marks on her body," a police official said. The survivor was admitted to a hospital for treatment.

According to investigators, Pakhare had allegedly created a fake Instagram profile last year using the name "Akash Mehra" to befriend the girl. Police said that after gaining her trust, he obtained her private photographs and later blackmailed her by threatening to circulate them online. Fearing exposure, the girl continued meeting him.

According to the investigators, the accused sexually assaulted the minor at a hotel and later took her to the rented accommodation in Dighori whenever he visited Nagpur. Sources also claimed he gave the girl chocolates allegedly laced with intoxicants before the assault.

Police have booked Pakhare under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to kidnapping, rape and attempt to murder, along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

- Ends