Cartoonist arrested for harassing model

A 52-year-old cartoonist was arrested for sending obscene messages and nude photographs by Facebook Messenger to a city-based model and forcing her to have a physical relationship.

Following the victim’s complaint, cyber crime police arrested Tamanna Pakirappa Hadimani, who worked as a designer for a Kannada and English magazine in the city.

Police said Hadimani is a native of Ramadurga in Belagavi and settled in the city. A couple of days ago, he came into contact with a city-based model.

While he behaved well with the model initially, Hadimani later sent lewd WhatsApp and Messenger messages and nude photographs. He even forced her for physical relationship.

Unable to bear his torture, the model filed a complaint with Cyber Crime police station on January 28.

Hadimani learnt about the complaint and took shelter in a lodge in Belagavi. Based on his mobile call records, he was arrested from a bus station in Gokak and brought back to the city on Tuesday. Police have seized two mobile phones from him.

Hadimani worked as a cover-page designer for Kannada and English magazines and later settled in Vijayanagar in Mysuru. He had designed cover-page to many books.

The model had taken screenshots of the messages he sent and warned him that she would show them to his wife. She had even uploaded them on Facebook to deter him. But Hadimani continued sending obscene messages, prompting the model to file a complaint.

Hadimani learnt that his messages went viral on social media and deleted them on his phone. Police said his cell phone has been sent to FSL to retrieve the deleted messages.

“We had taken the victim’s statement, produced Hadimani before the magistrate and have taken him to custody for further interrogation,” they said.

Investigations revealed that Hadimani was a habitual offender and was arrested by Ashok Nagar police four years ago for a similar offence. He was out on bail and the case is pending in the court.