Nagpur: A 25-year-old man has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant provisions after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted following an acquaintance developed through Instagram.

According to the complaint registered at Gittikhadan police station, the minor girl had become acquainted with the accused, identified as Pratik Vinod Dharpal (25), a resident of Mahesh Nagar, Borgaon Road, Gorewada, through Instagram in 2022.

Police said that on August 17, 2026, Dharpal allegedly called the girl to his house to meet him. During the meeting, he allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with her, to which she agreed, following which the two allegedly had sexual intercourse.

The girl subsequently did not get her menstrual period. On September 22, she reportedly felt dizzy and collapsed at college. Her teachers took her to WIMS Hospital, where she received preliminary treatment.

On September 24, the girl’s mother took her to a hospital in Dhantoli for further treatment. Doctors conducted a sonography and reportedly found that the girl was approximately six weeks pregnant. The hospital subsequently informed Dhantoli police and issued a medico-legal case (MLC).

Following the medical findings and the girl’s statement recorded in the presence of her mother by a woman police officer, the case was registered at Gittikhadan police station.

Police have booked the accused under Section 64(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 4, 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act, as mentioned in the police records.