Kovilpalayam Police in Coimbatore arrested two men within 24 hours for allegedly blackmailing a college student by threatening to circulate intimate videos recorded during online interactions.
Coimbatore: Kovilpalayam Police arrested two men within 24 hours for allegedly blackmailing a engineering student by threatening to circulate her intimate videos on social media.
Police said Arunachalam gained the student’s trust by portraying himself as a well-wisher. During the course of their interaction, he allegedly helped the student pledge her jewellery for ₹60,000 but handed over only ₹30,000 to her. He later claimed that the remaining amount had been taken by a finance manager towards bike loan dues and even provided the contact number of his associate, Santhosh, falsely identifying him as the manager.
As the conversations continued, the accused allegedly persuaded the student to engage in WhatsApp video calls. During one such call, the accused reportedly recorded intimate visuals of the student without her knowledge and later demanded money while threatening that the videos would be shared on social media.
The incident came to light after a woman staying at the hostel noticed the student's distressed condition and enquired about the reason. Following the student's disclosure, information was passed on to Kovilpalayam Police on Saturday night.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, Inspector Thiyagarajan informed senior officials and led a special team to Mecheri in Salem district. The police arrested Arunachalam and Santhosh within 24 hours of receiving the complaint.
A case has been registered against the duo, and they were later produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody at the Coimbatore Central Prison.
Police have advised the public, particularly youngsters, to exercise caution while interacting with strangers on social media platforms and to immediately report incidents of online harassment, extortion or blackmail to the authorities.
Police said Arunachalam gained the student’s trust by portraying himself as a well-wisher. During the course of their interaction, he allegedly helped the student pledge her jewellery for ₹60,000 but handed over only ₹30,000 to her. He later claimed that the remaining amount had been taken by a finance manager towards bike loan dues and even provided the contact number of his associate, Santhosh, falsely identifying him as the manager.
As the conversations continued, the accused allegedly persuaded the student to engage in WhatsApp video calls. During one such call, the accused reportedly recorded intimate visuals of the student without her knowledge and later demanded money while threatening that the videos would be shared on social media.
The incident came to light after a woman staying at the hostel noticed the student's distressed condition and enquired about the reason. Following the student's disclosure, information was passed on to Kovilpalayam Police on Saturday night.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, Inspector Thiyagarajan informed senior officials and led a special team to Mecheri in Salem district. The police arrested Arunachalam and Santhosh within 24 hours of receiving the complaint.
A case has been registered against the duo, and they were later produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody at the Coimbatore Central Prison.
Police have advised the public, particularly youngsters, to exercise caution while interacting with strangers on social media platforms and to immediately report incidents of online harassment, extortion or blackmail to the authorities.