CHENNAI: A police constable has been arrested for allegedly harassing a college student inside a car in Besant Nagar, extorting Rs. 8,000 from her and her classmate after threatening to frame them in a false case.
The 20-year-old victim, a third-year Artificial Intelligence student at a private college in Kelambakkam, had come to the Besant Nagar beach area two nights ago with her male classmate in her car. The two were sitting in the back seat and eating after parking the vehicle.
Around that time, a man aged around 30 shone a torch into the car, opened the door, and sat in the driver’s seat. He identified himself as a police constable attached to the Sastri Nagar police station and showed his ID card.
The officer allegedly used abusive language and threatened the students: “If you don’t give me the money I ask for, I will take you to the station, file a case against you both, and ensure you cannot show your faces in public. You will be humiliated.”
When the students said they had no cash on hand but could withdraw from an ATM, the constable drove their car to the Indian Overseas Bank ATM near the 32nd–34th cross street junction in Besant Nagar. The male student went in, withdrew Rs.8,000, and handed the money over to the officer.
While the male student was at the ATM, the constable allegedly attempted to misbehave with the female student who remained inside the car.
After taking the money, the constable drove the car a short distance, parked it, and left on his own two-wheeler. The two students then returned home.
The female student disclosed the ordeal to her sister yesterday, following which both sisters lodged a formal complaint at the Sastri Nagar police station.
Police examined CCTV footage and arrested the constable, identified as Joseph. According to officials, Joseph resides in the police quarters at Kondithope and was on deputation duty at the Madras High Court campus.
Authorities have launched a serious investigation to determine how many others Joseph may have targeted in similar fashion and whether any prior cases exist against him.