Mumbai: A 45-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting multiple minor girls in Mumbai after mixing sedative pills in their soft drinks and recording obscene videos to blackmail them, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Mahesh Ramesh Pawar, was apprehended from Virar within six hours of a complaint being registered, an official from Kurar police station said.

Police said that Pawar would lure minor girls on the pretext of offering them soft drinks, into which he allegedly mixed intoxicating pills. After the victims lost consciousness, he was accused of raping them and recording videos of the assaults.

Investigators said the accused later threatened to make the obscene videos viral, using them to repeatedly blackmail and sexually exploit the victims. Preliminary findings suggest that eight to ten minor girls may have been targeted using the same method.

Police said swift action was taken after one of the victims approached authorities, leading to the accused’s arrest. Further investigation is underway to identify more victims and recover digital evidence.

(This is a developing story. More updates awaited)