Palghar: A 23-year-old youth from Nallasopara area was arrested today for allegedly raping a teenage girl multiple times under the pretext of marriage, police said.

“The accused and the girl had been in relationship.  The youth raped the girl promising to marry her during October-December this year,” said sub-inspector DD Landge of Nallasopara police station.

He said the youth—whose identity is not disclosed by police—made clipping of himself and the girl in the intimate act and forced her to continue physical relations with him.  “The accused then refused to marry the girl and also threatened her of making the clippings public if she did not oblige his demands,” Landge said.  Unable to bear the harassment, the girl lodged the complaint with police yesterday.

The youth has been charged under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC and sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act 2012 besides sections 67, 67(A) of the IT Act.