A software analyst at a leading IT firm has been arrested by KR Puram police for allegedly sending obscene messages to a college friend for the last four years.
The suspect is identified as Keshav Murthy G, 27, an employee of DELL at its Domlur branch office. The recipient of the messages, Kavya (name changed) lives in KR Puram and is employed at a call centre.
Keshav Murthy and Kavya were friends while studying at the University Visveswaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) at KR Circle in 2007. Kavya had been pursuing a Diploma in Civil Engineering while Murthy was studying for a BE.
As both were from Kolar and lived in the same area, a friendship soon developed between them. Eventually Murthy expressed a liking for Kavya, which was not reciprocated. Upset by the rejection, Murthy attempted to take revenge, said police.
Friendship turns sour
Lewd messages were often sent to Kavya’s e-mail ID and her accounts on social network sites.
He then allegedly forwarded the same content to her cellphone. But this harassment was not restricted to Kavya. According to police, Murthy began to subject a second girl to similar torment.
Kavya’s parents finally intervened and lodged a complaint with JP Nagar police in 2011, alleging that Murthy had mentally harassed their daughter.
Police summoned Murthy to the station and gave him a strict warning.
But when the obscene messages continued, Kavya’s parents filed a complaint with Mulbagal police.
When police confronted Murthy again, he promised to abstain from such activities and was released. But angry at being reported to the police twice, Murthy’s revenge grew, said the police.
The number of obscene messages increased.
Police said that Murthy also created Facebook and Gmail accounts in Kavya’s name and posted doctored nude photographs of the girl on the internet.
He also sent derogatory content to her online contacts, leading to Kavya’s friends and colleagues confronting her over the images.
Murthy also claimed on several social sites that Kavya possessed moles on her body, which he claimed to have counted.
After this content was also sent to Kavya’s elder sister and her husband, the victim’s parents filed a complaint with K R Puram police in June. When police set out to arrest Murthy, he fled.
Acting on tip-offs, he was finally arrested at a room in A Narayanapura on Saturday morning.
Murthy has been booked under Sections 327, 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
Produced before the 10th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, he was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.
Police informed Murthy’s family of his crime by contacting his brother-in-law.