FB friendship proved costly for teen 17-Yr-Old Had Twice Attempted Suicide Following Depression Raj Shekhar TNN

New Delhi: The 17-year-old girl from a south Delhi public school, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by two MNC employees, was driven to desperation and attempted suicide twice between October and November this year. Her statement to the police reveals a sordid tale of exploitation by the two men who, she alleges, were working in tandem.
    It was a Facebook (FB) friendship with Naveen Singh Khetwal, 24, that began in September 2011, which pulled her into the quagmire from which she found it difficult to escape. Naveen introduced her to his cousin, Rajesh, 24, and by December, Rajesh, too, had befriended her on the social networking site.
    The case underlines the perils that social networking sites pose to vulnerable teenagers. This girl became quite enamoured of Rajesh. They exchanged phone numbers and text messages and would speak to each other daily, meeting occasionally. But suddenly in March 2012, Rajesh discontinued his friendship with her. She was heartbroken and went into depression, she says in her complaint.
    Soon, her studies provided the necessary diversion. Police sources said the girl, a science student, had scored 100% in three subjects in her previous class and her depression affected her studies.
    This seemed to be the cue for Naveen to take over. He filled a vacuum in this girl’s life and would often console her, she says. They gradually became close and he would often take her out to. Eventually, on July 24, she alleges, he spiked her softdrink and raped her in a flat in Safdarjung Enclave. By September, he seemed to have gone cold and there was a sudden break-up on September 7. According to the girl’s statement, he said he had given up his job and was going back to his native place in Uttarakhand.
    This time Rajesh did the handholding, and the very next day, she alleges, he raped her in his friend’s room in Green Park.
    Now, both turned abusive. Her phone number got circulated among strangers and she started getting obscene calls, she has alleged. They had her photographs on their mobiles, she told the police. This was the time when she attempted suicide by consuming Lizol. She told the cops that she intended to take a cough syrup and had by mistake consumed the disinfectant. After she recovered, her mobile was taken away by her parents but she continued to try to reach out to Naveen who only rebuffed her. She sliced her veins, she says, but survived.
    The girl fared very badly in academics and her parents got extremely worried. In her statement, the girl says she realised she was being victimised after one of Naveen’s relatives told her how the two had planned to exploit her after befriending her on Facebook.
    The unending harassment forced the family to approach the police on December 31, who arrested the accused after registering an FIR.