Bengaluru man harms himself at police station after teacher files plaint

BENGALURU: A 40-year-old teacher was duped and blackmailed by a man posing as her former classmate on messaging apps. It ended in a dramatic scene at a police station when he harmed himself.Aadhya (name changed), a resident of Electronics City, in her complaint Wednesday, told police that Arshad (37), a resident of Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, sent her a WhatsApp message a year ago, introducing himself as her former classmate, Niraj Kumar. Over the next three months, he gained her trust.He allegedly told her that he was from Tirupati and could arrange special darshan for devotees at the temple. She gave him money for booking temple visits for her family and friends. A senior police officer said Arshad frequently visited Bengaluru and met the complainant multiple times. The accused then claimed he was suffering from cancer and sought financial help, prompting the complainant to transfer nearly Rs 50,000 to him. Taking advantage of her emotional vulnerability, he later made a shocking demand, asking her to share a nude video, claiming it was his last wish before death.Aadhya told police that after obtaining the video, he began blackmailing her, threatening to leak it to her family and friends unless she paid more money. He also sought sexual favours. Out of fear, the woman continued to make online payments while pleading with him to delete the video. However, he continued to blackmail her, she stated.Determined to end the ordeal, Aadhya informed her acquaintances about the issue. She agreed to meet Arshad, pay the money, and meet his demands. She asked him to meet her on April 8. She and her acquaintances confronted him and tried to force him to delete the video. When he refused, they took him to the Electronics City police station.Arshad requested her not to file a complaint, as she did not want her family to know about her friendship with him. But she did not oblige.As the woman was writing the complaint, the accused, who had come with a bag containing clothes and a shaving kit, was standing near her and reportedly injured his hands and private parts using a razor. Police intervened and rushed him to a private hospital, where he underwent treatment and is now out of danger.Accused bought her used phoneDuring the investigation, police found that Aadhya had sold her mobile phone. During one of his visits to the city, Arshad purchased the same phone. He installed the messaging app Telegram, and retrieved Aadhya's account. He checked her messages and obtained her number. He then started messaging her as her classmate. Even after knowing that he was not her classmate, she continued her friendship with him and met him on multiple occasions.A case has been registered under BNS Sections 308 (extortion), 74 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and 75 (sexual harassment). Arshad, an engineering graduate, is unemployed and is separated from his wife. A notice has been served to him to appear before the investigating officer, a senior officer said.