Prayagraj (UP), Jul 20 Hearing a bail plea, the Allahabad High Court has directed a medical examination of the applicant, who has been accused of obtaining obscene photographs of the victim and blackmailing her, noting that he does not appear to be a person of sound mind.
The order was passed by Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal after he reviewed the nature of the filthy messages and social-media posts made by the applicant.
"On a perusal of the messages and social-media posts sent by the applicant, this court found that the applicant is not a person of sound mind. Therefore, the chief medical officer (CMO), Kaushambi, is directed to conduct his mental examination and keep it on record of the file of this case before the district court concerned," the judge said.
The court was hearing the bail plea of Rahul Kumar Saroj in a case lodged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), sections 3 and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and section 66E of the Information technology (IT) Act at the Manjhanpur police station in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the prosecution, an FIR was lodged on a complaint from the victim, alleging that the accused obtained her obscene photographs by hacking her mobile phone and thereafter, started blackmailing her and threatening her that he would upload the photos on social media.
Police subsequently arrested the accused. In her statements recorded before police and a magistrate, the victim alleged that the accused used her obscene videos and photos to blackmail her, demanding Rs 5 lakh by posting messages on Instagram and sending direct messages.
During the course of the hearing, the accused's counsel argued that his client was in a relationship with the victim and was falsely implicated after he refused to marry her.
Opposing the plea, the state's counsel produced in court the messages sent by the accused to the victim and her relatives as well as the woman's photographs posted on social media.
"Considering the language and nature of messages and the nature of photographs and videos posted by the accused on social media, this court is not inclined to release the accused on bail," the judge said in an order dated July 17.
