Visakhapatnam: A special POCSO court in Visakhapatnam sentenced Telugu YouTuber and TikTok fame Chippada Bhargav to imprisonment for 20 years for the rape of a minor girl.
The court also directed the accused to pay Rs 4 lakh compensation to the 14-year-old victim, who had become pregnant.
Bhargav, also known as Funbucket Bhargav, was arrested in April 2021 on the allegations of sexually assaulting a girl.
He was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The victim’s family member lodged a complaint with the Pendurthi police station in the port city on April 16, 2021, after they came to know that the survivor was four months pregnant.
The accused was arrested in Hyderabad and brought to Visakhapatnam.
Police had booked Bhargav under various sections of the POCSO Act and sections 376 (Punishment for sexual assault), and 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
Since it was a POCSO case, it was transferred to the Disha Police Station, which deals with cases relating to crime against women and children. The case was investigated by a team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Prem Kajal.
The police filed a charge sheet and produced all evidence in the special court. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to imprisonment for 20 years. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim.
Bhargav, who shot to popularity with comic TikTok videos, had promised the minor girl offers in media channels after seeing her in TikTok videos. According to police, when the girl had rejected his advances, he blackmailed her, saying he had her explicit videos and sexually assaulted her. The police had seized a vehicle and the mobile phone of the accused.
(IANS)
