Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, May 22: A movie director and his three accomplices were arrested by the police personnel of cyber crime branch here on charges of blackmailing a couple known to the director. Reportedly, the gang of four was blackmailing the couple and demanding payment of five crore rupees in exchange for deleting the video clips.
The arrested persons are N Santosh Kumar (27) from Kengeri here who is a film director, and his accomplices, Prashanth (26), Suresh (24), and Pradeep (22), all from Chamarajanagar district.
Santosh has earlier worked for several movies in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada movies in the capacity of associate director. Recently he had begun to direct a Kannada movie, 'Mysurinalli Rajarani', independently. He had friendship with a rich entrepreneur based in Kengeri satellite township, and the two families had together gone on a trip nine months back. Both the families together had got their photographs clicked at various spots. Video clips involving family members and children were also shot. After returning to the city, the entrepreneur had requested Santosh to send him the photos and videos. Santosh told his friend that he can send these things through 'share it' app, and had obtained cellphone of the friend. Making use of this opportunity, he had transferred some of the very private photos and videos involving the couple from their phone to his phone. After nine months, he thought of a plan to use these photos and videos to blackmail his friend, and sought assistance from his associates.
It is said that during the time the entourage was returning from the tour, Santosh had stolen the sim card of the entrepreneur when the phone was kept for charging. His associates used this sim card to send videos to the entrepreneur's cellphone and blackmail him. The couple, which as shocked at the fact the videos involving them had been accessed by unknown persons, contacted Pradeep, who had sent the photos and videos. He threatened to upload the videos in social websites and share them with friends. The couple who were taken aback, filed complaint.
The police initially arrested Pradeep and questioned him. Pradeep revealed that Santosh was the conspirator behind the entire plan. Thereafter, Santosh and two others were arrested. They took over cellphone, pen drive, and laptop and deleted certain videos from there. The police came to know that Santosh had urged the entrepreneur to invest in his new film, but the entrepreneur had refused. Angered by this refusal, Santosh was waiting to avenge this enmity, it is gathered.