In a shameful incident, two men including a police constable have been accused of blackmailing a man by claiming to possess ‘nude’ pictures of his daughter and threatening to release the same to the media.
The father of the girl has filed a complaint with the additional SP against the two men, alleging that they extorted Rs 25 lac from him with false claims of possessing obscene photos of his daughter.
On receiving the complaint, additional SP Santhosh Kumar assured of swift investigation into the charges. He said he advised the girl’s father to file a detailed complaint, and promised to lodge an FIR against the accused in the case.
As per the complaint, it is alleged that police constable Sudhir along with the girl’s cousin Mohammed Shamil, a resident of Udupi Mission Compound, Shanti Nagar, allegedly blackmailed her father, claiming they had ‘bluefilm’ of his daughter.
In the complaint it is stated that on April 10, 2014 police constable called the girl’s father on phone, claiming he was in the SP’s squad and had received information of his daughter’s ‘pornography’. He said he also had strong evidence about the bluefilm.
As per the complaint, Sudhir further told the father that the squad would carry out a raid as the police department had information about a ‘prostitution racket’ functioning from their house.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Shamil entered the house and after taking the mobile phone from the father, held talkswith the constable on phone, it is learnt from the complaint. After a brief conversation with the constable, Shamil told the father that the matter had turned serious and assured that he would handle the issue with the police. He returned the next day and told the father that the police would resolve the case if Rs 50 lac was paid.
Shocked by the exorbitant demand by the police, the father said he did not have that much money, but agreed to pay Rs 25 lac. Constable Sudhir and Shameel also asked him to maintain secrecy, it is said.
The father became financially bunkrupt in his effort to arrange the huge sum. However, the constable allegedly continued to harass him with constant calls. The accused duo even came to his house and took him away in a car to Malpe and Manipal, and allegedly threatened him by showing pornographic pictures of a woman resembling his daughter. They told him to arrange the money without any delay, and then left him back home.
However when failed to arrange the said amount the father was tortured mentally and physically, it is alleged. The father was once allegedly taken in the car of Sudhir on the claims of he would take him to the station said to have physically abused.
Having no other go, the father mortaged his house and somehow managed to arrange Rs 25 lac. Of this, Rs 2 lac was collected by Sudhir and Shamil on April 11, and the rest Rs 23 lac on April 19, the father alleged, adding that they did not surrender any photos or CDs of the bluefilm.
The father in his complaint urged the police to arrest the accused and procure the obscene photos and CDs from them.
A few months ago, a case had been registered few months back in Udupi police station against Sudhir and Shamil for allegedly blackmailing and harassing a businessman by filing a fake case of drug peddling. It is said that on May 1, the accused duo had, through a stranger, planted a ganja packet in the businessman’s shop and then raided the shop. They allegedly demanded Rs 3 lac to drop the case. It is said that this way, Sudhir and Shamil have extorted money with fake charges from a number of people.
