Charges framed in obsecene MMS case

Bhopal, Mar 22 (UNI) A local court has framed charges against four accused who created an obscene MMS of a minor and then attempted to blackmail her last year.

Judicial Magistrate Arvind Raghuvanshi yesterday framed charges against satellite town Bairagarh-residents Rakesh Lalwani, Honey Matani, Sunil Wadhwani and Pradeep Hotwani and fixed April 4 as the next date for hearing during which the petitioner and certain other people's statements are likely to be recorded.

The accused were charged under sections 386, 509, 292 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 66(a), 69 and 74 of the Information Technology Act. Defence arguments were heard in the presence of Petitioner's Counsel Ravi Goyal. Hotwani is out on bail while the other three are incarcerated.

''The sections relate to issuing threats, outraging the modesty of a female, distribution of obscene material, among others,'' submitted Mr Goyal.

The accused had sent the MMS to a few people. The First Information Report was registered on August 5, 2006. A computer, compact disc and other material seized from the accused were sent to a Kolkata-based forensic science laboratory whose report is awaited.

UNI