Pramesh S Jain
The South Division Women Police have arrested an obsessive Instagram follower from Haryana for allegedly harassing and stalking a city-based lady fitness and nutrition influencer,police said on Tuesday.
The accused has been identified as Sudhir Kumar,a native of Haryana.
Senior officer told reporters that,the accused began harassing the woman after following her on Instagram, where she works as a fitness trainer and nutrition influencer with a significant online presence.
Investigations revealed that Sudhir Kumar initially sent obscene and sexually explicit messages to the woman through Instagram.
He later managed to obtain her WhatsApp number and continued sending vulgar and sexually provocative messages,causing mental harassment.
Despite repeated attempts by the woman to ignore him, the accused allegedly persisted in stalking her.
In a disturbing escalation,Sudhir Kumar travelled from Haryana to Karnataka in an attempt to meet the influencer in person.
After reaching Bengaluru,the accused reportedly visited gyms and approached the victim’s colleagues,enquiring about her whereabouts.
Alarmed by his actions,the woman approached the police and lodged a complaint at the South Division Women Police Station.
Acting swiftly on the complaint,the police registered a case and tracked down the accused,who was subsequently arrested in Bengaluru.
Police officials stated that further investigation is underway and appropriate legal action will be taken under relevant sections of the law.
The police have also reiterated the importance of reporting online harassment and stalking at the earliest to prevent such crimes from escalating.
