The charges include threatening and criminal fraud, as the executive is accused of clandestinely capturing nude visuals of the personnel and attempting to blackmail the officer using those pictures.
WAYANAD: Following a complaint by a major-ranked Army officer stationed in Telangana, the Hyderabad police have registered a case against a staff member at a 4-star resort in Kerala’s Wayanad. The charges include threatening and criminal fraud, as the executive is accused of clandestinely capturing nude visuals of the personnel and attempting to blackmail the officer using those pictures.
The officer, whose identity is being withheld by The New Indian, visited the spa for ayurvedic therapy during the evening.
The unsettling incident unfolded on Thursday at 11 am at the Ayurvedic massage centre within the Serenity Lake View Premium Resort in Padinjarathara, Wayanad. The accused, identified as KC Shaju, an employee at Serenity Resort, captured the visuals while the officer was blindfolded during the therapy.
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Upon becoming suspicious after the therapy session, the officer confronted the staffer, who attempted to flee the scene. However, the officer pursued and seized the mobile device, discovering nude visuals of the officer and previous guests who had stayed at the resort under similar circumstances.
“When I asked him why he did this, he said the manager was also aware of it. So, when I questioned the duty manager, he said you can do whatever you want to do,” the army personnel told TNI.
The incident occurred at a time when the government has been imposing strict regulations for resorts operating Ayurvedic massage centres and spas. Although the complainant urged the registration of a case against the manager and resort owner, they were not named in the FIR by the police.
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A senior officer who provided a statement at the Padinjarathara police station mentioned that the accused had secretly recorded and shared multiple naked videos with his associates.
“When I caught hold of his phone, I could find that he had recorded naked videos of many other people. I also found that my video has been shared via WhatsApp with his friend Ashwin. I reached the police station and informed them of the entire sequence of events.
“I hereby request you to check whether my video has been misused by this person as I am concerned that it could be used to blackmail me in the future. I hence demand a detailed probe into the matter by questioning the owner and the manager of the resort,” the army officer said in a statement to the Padinjarathara police station.
The police have registered a case under section 66E of the Information Technology Act and have commenced a thorough investigation into the incident. The owner and the manager of the resort are likely to face further scrutiny as the probe unfolds.