Popular YouTuber & teen son arrested for raping minor

Kolkata: A popular YouTuber and his teenage son were arrested for allegedly raping a girl in North 24-Parganas, a police officer said Monday.

YouTuber Arabinda Mandal, who has millions of followers, was arrested along with his teenage son on Sunday for allegedly raping the 15-year-old girl, who had been assisting them in making reels for the past several months, the officer said.

The arrests were made after an FIR was lodged under the POCSO Act against the accused, he said.

Superintendent of Police, Basirhat, Hossain Mehedi Rahaman said that Mandal was taken to the SDJM’s Court, Basirhat, and remanded to three days police custody.

His teenage son was taken to the juvenile court and then forwarded to a juvenile home, the officer said.

The duo were arrested after the girl’s parents filed a complaint alleging that Mandal and his son had filmed their daughter secretly when she was changing and then started blackmailing her later on. The duo were threatening to release the video and allegedly raped her in their house, located near the residence of the girl.

The girl’s family, which had not suspected Arabinda (42) and trusted her, came to know about the sexual torture and atrocities committed on her when she broke down two days back and narrated her ordeal.

A medical test of the girl was done, the official said, without specifying.

The family of the girl said the father and son duo had approached the Class 9 student several months ago, asking her to assist them in making short films, and the girl accompanied them to various locations for shoots.