A former particular pleader with the Nationwide Investigation Company, who was discovered useless in Kerala’s Kollam district on Sunday whereas out on bail in a sexual assault case, confronted blackmail and caste-based insults for months earlier than his suspected suicide, police stated.
P G Manu (54), who had additionally served as senior authorities pleader within the Excessive Courtroom, was out on bail after he was arrested in a sexual assault case in 2023. He was discovered useless at a rented premises on April 13, days after a video emerged on social media during which he was purportedly seen tendering an apology over one other subject of sexual misconduct.
A person recognized as 40-year-old Johnson Pleasure has been arrested beneath BNS sections 108 (abetting suicide) and 308 (extortion), and part 3(2) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He was produced earlier than courtroom on Thursday and remanded in judicial custody.
Kollam metropolis Assistant Commissioner of Police S Shareef, who’s heading the investigation, stated: “Hours earlier than he died, Manu had typed a WhatsApp message to his associates detailing the circumstances that compelled him to finish his life, his innocence within the recent allegation, and the names of individuals chargeable for his dying. Nonetheless, this message had not been despatched from his cell phone for lack of web connectivity at the moment.”
“The abetment to suicide and blackmail was revealed when his cell phone was examined as a part of the probe, resulting in the arrest of 1 individual. At this stage, we’re not revealing the names of others concerned within the case,” Shareef stated.
In line with police, Johnson was beforehand arrested by Ernakulam rural police in October final 12 months in reference to an try and homicide case. Whereas he was in jail, Johnson’s spouse approached Manu together with her husband’s case. Police stated that Johnson, whereas out on bail, accused Manu of sexually abusing his spouse, and final November, the previous allegedly informed the latter that the difficulty could possibly be resolved if he tendered an apology.
Frightened that the registration of one other sexual abuse case might result in the cancellation of his bail, Manu went to Johnson’s home in Ernakulam district alongside along with his spouse and sister, police stated.
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“On the home, they have been compelled to tender an apology to Johnson’s spouse. It was recorded on a cell phone. Johnson slapped Manu within the face and insulted him over caste in entrance of his spouse and sister. The ladies cried, however Johnson continued to bathe abuse on Manu…,” an officer stated.
Later, Johnson allegedly used this recorded video to threaten Manu and demanded Rs 20 lakh for not releasing the clip, police stated. When Manu refused to pay, Johnson allegedly posted the video on social media, the place it went viral.
Police additionally accused Johnson of defacing the board at Manu’s workplace and the rear window of his automobile with caste-based insults.
Manu had been charged in a case of sexual assault in November 2023. He was accused of sexually assaulting a girl who had approached him for assist with a 2018 rape case. Subsequently, he was compelled to stop as senior authorities pleader on the Excessive Courtroom, a submit he had held since 2021. Previous to that, Manu had served as a particular prosecutor for the NIA in Kochi.
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