MEERUT, Dec. 15 -- A multi-state police investigation has exposed an alleged online marketplace for child sexual abuse material, with a Meerut resident at the centre of accusations involving the auctioning of obscene videos of minor girls through a Telegram channel dubbed "Lucifer." Amit Jain, a resident of Bagpat Gate in Meerut, is accused of operating a sophisticated digital storefront where thumbnails of illegal videos were displayed like products in a catalogue. Buyers would browse the content, negotiate prices, and complete auctioned deals, with some videos allegedly fetching lakhs of rupees, according to police.

Circle officer (CO) Brahmpuri, Soumya Asthana, said that the case began unravelling when Dehradun Police discovered links...