Daijiworld Media Network - Hisar
Hisar, Jun 4: In a shocking case of child exploitation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a man from Hisar, Haryana, for allegedly raping multiple children and circulating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. The accused, identified as Somnath, was held from his residence on Tuesday following an international alert through Interpol.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the CBI said it acted upon data sourced from Interpol’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database, which helped trace Somnath’s online activity linked to CSAM content.
“CBI has arrested the accused from Hisar for alleged rape, penetrative sexual assault and for using several minor victims in the production and distribution of child pornography,” the agency said.
During the raid, CBI recovered digital devices and other incriminating material from the accused. Investigators said Somnath had threatened, sexually abused, and exploited multiple children, all while keeping his activities hidden from local authorities. The case was registered on May 29.
The agency revealed that the victims or their families had not reported the crimes, and the abuse was uncovered through digital surveillance and forensic tools. The material was also linked to Google’s cyber tipline report and flagged to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
Somnath’s arrest is part of ‘Operation Hawk’, launched by CBI in March to dismantle networks involved in online child exploitation, especially those with international connections.
Child sexual abuse is punishable under India’s Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Information Technology Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The CBI said it remains committed to bringing offenders to justice through focused cyber forensics and cooperation with global agencies.
The ICSE database has so far helped identify over 42,000 victims and 18,000 abusers worldwide, with India being an active participant in the effort.
In 2018, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to frame strict guidelines against child pornography, while a Rajya Sabha panel in 2020 called for identifying and penalising the originators of such content.
The government, through inputs from CBI, blocks child abuse websites listed by Interpol. Under the IT Rules, intermediaries are required to remove or disable such content within 24 hours of a complaint.
Citizens can report cybercrimes involving children on the national cybercrime portal: www.cybercrime.gov.in.