Woman blackmailed, raped for six months; cops arrest 5 for crime

The Anekal police have arrested five men who had reportedly blackmailed a 20-year-old woman with a video clip showing her in compromising position with her lover at and later sexually assaulted the victim, impregnating her.

According to the police, the victim had gone to an isolated place with her boyfriend identified as Ghouse and they got intimate there. Meanwhile, the accused Murugesh, Rakesh, Vikas and Yathiraj, who were passing by the area, noticed them and video recorded their act without their knowledge. Once they were about to leave, they confronted the couple and threatened the woman that they would upload the video on the internet if she did not cooperate with them. The accused then began to sexually assault her for six months until she became pregnant.

The incident came to light when her parents learnt about her pregnancy. The shocked parents questioned her and she narrated the entire ordeal, following which a police complaint was lodged.

Based on the complaint, the police arrested all the suspects and booked them on charges of rape, blackmail and criminal intimidation.

The police also arrested Ghouse on charges of rape and concealing the crime. He knew about the blackmail and the sexual assault on the woman. But he failed to report the matter to the police, a senior police officer said.