NT Reporter
Panaji
In the Curchorem obscene video case, Crime Branch police have arrested Soham Naik (20), in connection with the fourth FIR in which he is accused of sexually abusing a minor girl. Police have also attached a car in connection with the case. Meanwhile, Naik, who has been accused in multiple cases of sexual assault on women, including minor girls, was remanded in
14 days’ judicial custody
on Tuesday.
Crime Branch, that is probing the obscene videos scandal, produced Naik before the Children’s Court
in Panaji.
Naik was arrested on March 23 by Curchorem police, which had registered three FIRs. The next day, the cases were transferred to Crime Branch, Ribandar, which subsequently registered two more FIRs.
One case was registered based on a media report, while the three other
FIRs were registered based on complaints filed by
victims.
Referring to the FIRs, police had said that the accused had allegedly sent obscene content to a victim on social media platform Snapchat, while the other two cases pertain to alleged sexual abuse.
The accused is also said to have recorded the alleged sexual assault on a mobile phone, which has been sent for forensic examination, and the report is awaited. The victims were minors at the time of the incidents, police had said.
Apart from this, Crime Branch on Monday registered a fifth FIR against Naik for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl. The incident occurred in 2025, and the accused allegedly recorded the act on a mobile phone and circulated the video, sources said.
Based on the complaint, police have registered an FIR under Section 69 of BNS and Section 67 of the IT Act.
Police sources said more FIRs are likely to be registered against the accused. Police had said that owing to the sensitive nature of the case and to maintain confidentiality of the victims, the investigation into the obscene video scandal was transferred from Curchorem police to Crime Branch.
