A 15-year-old girl from Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, was allegedly blackmailed by a man who coerced her into sharing an obscene video and later sent it to her father while demanding money, police officials confirmed on Saturday.

According to investigators, the minor, a Class 11 student, had been gifted a smartphone by her father, who works in South Africa, to help them stay in touch. Despite her mother’s repeated advice to delete Instagram, she continued using the platform, where she became acquainted with the accused, identified as Chirag Gawande.

Police said Gawande allegedly gained access to the teenager’s Instagram account and began threatening her. Under pressure, she sent him a semi-nude video. Soon after, he forwarded the clip to her father via Instagram and followed up with a phone call, saying: “I have semi-nude videos of your daughter. Now let’s talk business.” The accused then allegedly demanded money in exchange for keeping the material private.

The girl’s father, shocked by the incident, informed his wife, who resides with their daughter in Dombivli. She approached the Manpada Police Station and lodged a formal complaint.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Senior Inspector Sandipan Shinde of Manpada Police confirmed that the accused is believed to be living in Navi Mumbai and that a cyber cell team has been roped in to trace him.

“This is a serious case involving the exploitation of a minor. We have registered an FIR and efforts are underway to arrest the accused at the earliest,” Inspector Shinde said.