Udupi: A civic worker has accused three persons of extortion and threatening to implicate him in sexual harassment cases if he failed to pay another Rs 8 lakh.The complainant belongs to the scheduled caste and works with Udupi City Municipal Council. He was promoted in 2021 and has since been serving as an in-charge supervisor.He alleged that the accused, including two men and a woman, were working as civic workers and outsourced drivers with the council. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly pressured the complainant to assign them duties favourable to them, and threatened to use the woman to level sexual harassment allegations against him if he failed to comply.The accused allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh from the complainant. Fearing the threats, he reportedly paid Rs 2 lakh in cash. They later demanded the remaining Rs 8 lakh.After the complainant refused to pay, a case alleging sexual assault was registered against him at Udupi women’s police station on Jan 29, based on a complaint filed in the woman’s name. The complainant subsequently obtained bail from a court. On June 30, the accused allegedly called the complainant and demanded the remaining Rs 8 lakh, threatening to file another complaint against him in the woman’s name if he failed to pay.The complaint further stated that on July 6, one of the accused allegedly confronted the complainant at Perampalli Circle in Manipal, abused him, demanded the remaining Rs 8 lakh and threatened to lodge another complaint accusing him of harassing the woman. He also allegedly subjected the complainant to caste-based abuse.Udupi Town police registered a case under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Sections 308(2), 352, 351(2) and 3(5) of the BNS. An investigation is ongoing.
