Kerala: Grocery Store Owner Arrested for Blackmailing and Exploiting Over 25 Women 

Pattiputhur, Palakkad: The Kerala Police have arrested Manikandan (43), a grocery store owner from Pattiputhur, for allegedly exploiting and harassing more than 25 women. 

According to law enforcement, Manikandan utilized his business interactions to introduce himself and establish friendly relationships with local women before transitioning the communication to phone calls. Once he gained their trust, he sexually harassed the victims and secretly recorded videos of the acts. 

Manikandan then utilized these recorded videos as leverage to blackmail the victims, demanding money and threatening to release the footage if they did not comply. In some instances, he reportedly used the material to coerce victims into aiding drug trafficking operations. 

The illicit scheme was uncovered when one of the victims filed a formal complaint with the police after refusing to give in to his extortion demands. Investigators have since secured video recordings of conversations between the accused and the complainant as primary evidence. 

Legal Significance 

This case highlights an intricate intersection of digital crime, extortion, and systemic gender-based violence. The legal proceedings will primarily invoke several stringent sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act: 

Extortion and Coercion (BNS Sections corresponding to extortion): Using compromised private footage to demand financial compensation and forcing individuals into illicit activities (like drug smuggling) constitutes criminal extortion and criminal intimidation under the law. 

 Voyeurism and Sexual Harassment: The act of secretly filming women without their consent during private moments constitutes voyeurism. The evidence secured by police will be critical in establishing charges related to the violation of privacy and sexual exploitation. 

 Information Technology Act (Section 66E / 67A): Capturing, publishing, or transmitting images of a private area without consent, alongside transmitting sexually explicit material via electronic means, carries heavy penalties, including non-bailable imprisonment. 

📰 Source: Manorama Online (English)