Woman techie in Bengaluru immolates self after uncle threatens to leak her private videos

The HAL police under the Whitefield division have arrested Praveen Singh (42) and booked him under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Bengaluru: A 24-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide in eastern Bengaluru following sustained harassment by her uncle, who reportedly threatened to leak her private messages, videos, and photographs, the police said on Thursday.

The woman, Suhasi S Singh, worked at a prominent IT company in the city.

The HAL police under the Whitefield division have arrested Praveen Singh, 42, an insurance agent, and booked him under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Praveen is Suhasi’s uncle through his wife.

On January 12, around 8 pm, Suhasi met Praveen at Radha Hotel near the Kundalahalli metro station, reportedly at his request "to sort out their problems".

The police suspect Suhasi, distressed by the ongoing harassment, carried petrol with her and immolated herself in the hotel room.

Praveen reportedly attempted to save her and took her to Victoria Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. He sustained minor injuries in the process.

Previous relationship

The police are investigating claims that Suhasi and Praveen were previously in a relationship, although no conclusions have been reached.

Suhasi’s mother filed a complaint on January 13, prompting the police to register a case.

The FIR stated that Suhasi had been living with her paternal grandparents in Channasandra for six years, while her parents resided in Kalena Agrahara.

Suhasi had a 19-year-old sister and frequently visited Praveen and his wife, Sandhya, who lived in KR Puram.

A police investigator stated that Suhasi often went on trips with Praveen and Sandhya during her holidays. Recently, Suhasi started seeing someone else, leading to harassment from Praveen, who allegedly demanded sexual favours and threatened to leak her private video clips.

Suhasi’s parents were unaware of the harassment until her friend, Navnath Patil, informed them on January 13.

According to the FIR, Patil told the parents, “Praveen harassed her and demanded sexual favours. She told me she was contemplating suicide, and I urged her to speak to her parents.”

No evidence of pvt videos

A source involved in the investigation revealed that preliminary analysis of the suspect Praveen Singh’s confiscated mobile phone and pen drive found no private photographs or videos of the victim. The devices have been sent for forensic analysis for further examination.