That’s how the report of sexual abuse, blackmail and exploitation was reported in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district from one married woman who says a man sexually assaulted her for several years after drugging her and recording obscene videos without her consent.
The case came to light after the victim and her family approached police, and a criminal case was registered at the Shidlaghatta Rural Police Station. A police investigation has taken place about the allegations going back nearly one and a half years.
The victim, Lakshmi, is a resident of J. Venkatapura village in Shidlaghatta Taluk. She has accused Ramesh, who belongs to Kudugabalu village in Mandya district, of sexually assaulting her and blackmailing her for many years.
Lakshmi and Ramesh became acquainted when they visited a relative's house in Bengaluru's Kengeri area, sources said. The friendship had developed gradually before the alleged events took place, police sources said.
Ramesh allegedly put an intoxicating substance into a fruit juice and offered it to her, after which he sexually assaulted her, the victim said. The woman also said that during the assault, the accused filmed sexually explicit videos and photographs of her without her knowledge or consent.
The victim alleges that the accused later used the videos to blackmail and threaten her. Ramesh warned her against telling her husband or family members about the incident and repeatedly used the recordings to force her into further sexual encounters, the complaint alleges.
The woman has claimed that the blackmail lasted for nearly 18 months. She was always worried that she'd be exposed and the video would be leaked to her husband and relatives, according to investigators.
The complaint further states that the accused has also exploited the victim financially. Lakshmi has claimed that Ramesh collected money, gold jewellery and other valuables worth several lakh rupees from her in the course of the alleged blackmail.
The matter was kept from the victim's husband for more than a year. But the allegations were made public after money, jewellery and other valuables were found to be missing from the household. When family members wondered what the losses were, she finally admitted to them about the trauma she was experiencing.
It was said that the revelation left her husband shocked, and in the event of which the family took the police to court and launched legal action against the accused.
Based on the complaint, police have registered a case and begun a detailed investigation. They will look for digital evidence, including mobile phones, electronic devices, financial transactions, and any videos or photographs allegedly used for blackmail.
Investigators will also have to record statements from the victim, her family members and other people associated with the case. The allegations are being taken seriously, officials said, because of the nature of the offence.
Police have urged those in the public who feel blackmailed, harassed or exploited to contact law enforcement officials as soon as possible because they should not suffer in silence.
The investigation is still ongoing, and any legal action will depend on what is gathered during the course of the investigation.
