India, March 5 -- A 23-year-old man was arrested by the Vartak Nagar Police on Sunday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old schoolgirl multiple times over six months and extorting Rs.50,000 from her through blackmail.

The accused, identified as Prathamesh Desai, a resident of Lokmanya Nagar in Thane, worked as a delivery partner for a local courier company. Police said the victim and the accused lived in the same neighbourhood and were previously acquainted.

According to investigators, between September 2025 and February 2026, Desai allegedly took the minor to isolated locations on several occasions and sexually assaulted her. Exploiting her fear and the fact that she came from an affluent family, he then began blackmailing he...