Bengaluru woman kidnapped, assaulted over Rs 1.5 lakh debt; 3 arrested

The Bengaluru police have arrested three people, including two women, for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a woman over a monetary dispute and threatening to circulate a nude video of her if she failed to repay the money, officials said on Friday.

The police rescued the woman from a house on the outskirts of the city, where she had allegedly been confined for three days, and arrested Reshma Banu, her husband Suhail, and Nazath on August 31, the police said. According to police, the victim owed Rs 1 lakh to Reshma Banu and another Rs 50,000 to Nazath and she had been repaying the amounts, along with interest, in monthly instalments until a few months ago.

Reshma allegedly began repeatedly demanding repayment, prompting the woman to block her number and move from her residence to her mother’s house. The woman also alleged that the accused recorded a nude video of her and threatened to circulate it if she failed to repay the money, the police said.

“Based on the victim's statement, we have registered a case and arrested three people. We are verifying the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and assault, and are also investigating the allegations regarding the video and the monetary dispute,” a police officer said.

The woman's mother filed a missing-person complaint at the Chandra Layout police station after she could not be traced. The police have booked the three for wrongful confinement, assault, causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and violation of privacy under the Information Technology Act.