Businessman held for 'stalking, harassing' Kannada film actress

Bengaluru, Nov 15 (PTI) A businessman was arrested on Saturday for allegedly stalking, intimidating and harassing a Kannada film actress, police said.

The accused was identified as Aravind Venkatesh Reddy.

In her complaint, the 36-year-old actress stated that she had known Reddy since 2021 and first met him at an event in Sri Lanka in 2022. He maintained a cordial relationship with her for a few months and befriended her.

According to the complaint, they were initially in a live-in relationship. He was affectionate and caring at first, but his behaviour soon turned obsessive and threatening. The accused would often come home drunk, due to which she distanced herself from him.

Despite her attempts to stay away, the accused allegedly followed her everywhere, tracked her location, and on Instagram, morphed her photographs and posted them to insult her, the complaint said.

He also allegedly sent some men to the complainant’s parental home to create trouble. He threatened to kill her younger brother and harassed her, insisting that she continue the relationship with him, she claimed.

In April 2024, distressed by alleged mental and physical harassment, the actress attempted suicide at her residence here after Reddy allegedly threatened to forcibly marry her, the FIR stated.

The harassment continued, including demands for Rs one crore, attempts to defame her before her family, and persistent tracking, it added.

Based on the allegations stated in the complaint, a case was registered at Rajarajeshwarinagar police station on October 17 under Sections 78(2) (stalking), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.

The case was later transferred to Govindarajanagar police station and, based on the investigation, the accused was arrested today, he said.

The mobile phone allegedly used by him to commit the offence has also been seized, police said, adding that further investigation is underway. PTI AMP ROH