NAGAPATTINAM: In a stark resemblance of the recent sexual harassment incident which took place in Pollachi, a 23-year-old youth has been arrested for blackmailing a girl with obscene pictures and on suspicion of philandering several other women.
Sundhar, aged 23, son of Senthil Kumar, from Velipalayam near Nagapattinam has been arrested after a girl whom he was in a relationship complained against him for threatening her with obscene pictures and compelling her to marry him.
The police arrested the youth and reportedly found that he had been multiple relationships with other women in recent past.
According to the police, Vidya (name changed), aged 23, belongs from a village near Nagapattinam had been working in a mobile shop in the town.
Sundhar who is working a driver in Nagapattinam used to visit the shop to recharge his mobile, where he met Vidya.
They were in a relationship for a year.
Vidya started avoiding Sundar as she started to dislike his habits.
Sundhar, upset with Vidya's changed attitude, started to disturb her at her workplace which made Vidya to stop going to the mobile shop.
One day, Vidya agreed to go with Sundhar to a temple in Karaikal in his motorcycle after he had compelled her.
He allegedly spiked her drink at a soft drink shop on the way towards to Karaikal.
It is yet to be investigated if she was sexually assaulted.
The next day, Sundhar had allegedly met Vidya and showed her some of the pictures where they had been intimate and started to blackmail her.
Vidya rebuked it and returned to her house.
An enraged Sundhar followed her and forced his way into Vidya's house on Friday afternoon. He verbally abused her, tore her dress, and pinned her down.
He also allegedly threatened to spread the photographs or kill her, unless she agrees to marry him.
But, Vidya, raised an alarm which brought her mother, and her mother into the scene.
Sundhar fled the spot.
Later, on Friday, Vidya and her family complained in Kilvelur Police Station and narrated the incident.
A police team arrested him near Kilvelur on Friday night.
After confiscating his mobile to look for the pictures, the cops found several pictures Sundhar had taken with a few other young women intimately, and in public, which led to suspicions that Sundhar might have philandered several women.
A case has been registered in Kilvelur Police Station under IPC sections 448 (house trespass), 294b (obscene language), 354 (attempt to outrage a woman's modesty), 354a (sexual harassment), 354b (attempt to disrobe), 506(2), (criminal intimidation).
He has also been charged under 66E (taking photographs of privates without a person's' consent), and 67 (sending obscene material over electronic form). Further investigation is underway. While speaking to Express, the Nagapattinam SP C Vijayakumar said, "We are trying to know if the girl was sexually manipulated by the offender. We are also investigating if Sundhar had been philandering more such women. We might learn more about it as the investigation goes further."