Kendrapara self-immolation case: Ex-boyfriend arrested for sexual harassment; had 'at least 60 obscene videos' of victim

Police in Odisha’s Kendrapara district have arrested a man for allegedly abetting the suicide and sexually harassing a 19-year-old woman.

The young woman’s charred body was discovered on the staircase of her home on 6 August. Her father alleged that her former boyfriend had circulated their intimate videos online, pushing her to take her own life.

According to police, the relationship had ended before the incident, but the accused began threatening to release private videos. Investigators say he eventually sent them to several people, including the woman’s father, leaving her humiliated and distressed.


The family claimed that the woman had approached police for help, but no action was taken.

Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria said the man was booked under BNS sections 296 (obscene act), 75 (sexual harassment), 78 (stalking) and 108 (abetment of suicide), as well as sections 66-E and 67-A of the IT Act.

"There are at least 60 obscene videos in the mobile phone of the accused," the SP told reporters.

"The accused had sent one of the videos to the mobile phone of the deceased woman's father on July 17. He has also sent such videos to five-six other persons. He had sent a message to the deceased at 7:34 am on August 6, following which she died. He had also called the victim on August 5."

Police are awaiting the post-mortem examination report.

Meanwhile, the accused’s father has threatened to set himself on fire outside the police station if his son is not released. "I am a poor man because of which justice is denied to me. My son is innocent," he said.

The man’s mother and sister admitted that he had been in a relationship with the victim, but denied claims of blackmail. They alleged instead that the woman’s father had set his daughter on fire in an "honour killing".

Police have since interrogated the victim’s father and brother, and spoken to her mother, as part of their investigation.