Chennai constable held for sexually assaulting, extorting college student at beach

Chennai: A police constable has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a woman who was with her boyfriend in a car near Besant Nagar beach on April 29. The constable has been charged also with threatening them and extorting money from them.Joseph, a constable attached to the Chennai High Court Complex police station, approached the couple, who are third-year students of a private engineering college, around 8.10pm. According to the complaint, he flashed a torchlight into the car, entered the vehicle through an unlocked door and showed an identity card saying he was from Shastri Nagar police station. He threatened to register a case against them. Fearing action, the students pleaded with him.Police said the accused demanded money from the couple. The woman transferred 3,000 online to an account linked to him. He then drove the car to an Indian Overseas Bank ATM on Besant Nagar 3rd Main Road and forced the man to withdraw 8,000.While he went to the ATM, the accused remained in the car with the woman and sexually assaulted her. When the the man returned, he handed over the cash. The constable then drove the car back to the original location, got onto his two-wheeler parked there and fled, the complaint said.The woman did not immediately report the incident. The next morning, she informed her family, following which her parents took her to the Shastri Nagar police station and lodged a complaint.Police registered a case and examined CCTV footage from the beach area and the ATM. Using the vehicle registration number and facial identification, they identified Joseph.He was arrested and booked for extortion and sexual assault. Joseph was produced before a magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody.
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