Famous social media star Funbucket Bhargav, who rose to fame with his “Oh My God” video has been recently arrested on rape charges and booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, section 376 (Punishment for sexual assault), and 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
As per Prem Kajal, who is the Disha ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police), it all started when the accused Funbucket Bhargav saw a 14-year-old girl on a now-banned platform TikTok. He allegedly lured the minor by assuring her of media offers, and later revealed that he was interested in her. The ACP added that after the girl rejected his advances, he allegedly started blackmailing her by saying that he has inappropriate videos of her, Times Now reports.
On April 16, the 14-year-old girl’s family lodged a complaint against the accused at the Pendurthi police station, alleging that she was 4-months pregnant. The police then arrested the accused from Hyderabad. The case was transferred to the Disha Police in Vishakhapatnam, which investigates crimes against women and children in Andhra Pradesh.
The ACP added that Funbucket Bhargav was produced before the judicial magistrate and sent to judicial remand till May 3. His mobile phone and white Nissan vehicle have been seized from his possession.
As per a report in The News Minute, as soon as the news of Bhargav’s arrest broke out, many people online mistakenly assumed that 15-year-old actor Nithya was the victim of the crime. She had previously risen to fame with Bhargav through their “Oh my God” videos. Nithya then released a video issuing a clarification that she is not the one involved in the case.
In the video, she states, “It is true that Bhargav got arrested, But I’m not related to that case in any way. I have come to know about this from social media, after my followers have been messaging me and sending links. They were asking me what happened, even I don’t know.”
Nithya added in the video. “Meme-makers and YouTubers are using my name; I’m assuming that you people are doing this without any truth or knowledge about the issue. I hope you all would delete such videos if you people are not doing this intentionally. People are sending me messages feeling bad about me, but I’m fine here at the shoot.”
Additionally, Twitter user Chinmayi Sripada shared newspaper screenshots and called out Telugu reportage for victim-blaming the 14-year-old minor and blaming the girl’s single parent for giving her “too much independence”. Check it out:
Continuing this thread
This particular newspaper has basically blamed the single parent of this 14 year old for the child’s plight plus additional lines on ‘she gave too much independence to the girl’, ‘because the father lives away, no one is there… to raise the kid well.’!!! pic.twitter.com/BjIrLVBxr7— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) April 21, 2021
Goes on to give more reasons. ‘Mother spoilt the girl’ is a reason as to why the predator became close to the minor and raped her it seems.
Unfortunately reportage like this hurts women and girls in a country which has a dowry rate card based on the groom’s foreign visa status. pic.twitter.com/HpsbcxtP14
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) April 21, 2021
We hope for a speedy trial so that justice is ensured!