HYDERABAD: A 27-year-old man who had been harassing Tollywood character actress Hema by speaking to her in vulgar language and sending lewd messages, was nabbed by Madhapur police at Suryapet in Nalgonda district on Thursday. Apart from Hema, the culprit reportedly harassed several others. Madhapur police said 27-year-old Madhu, who dropped out of intermediate, was arrested based on the call data record (CDR) of his mobile. He allegedly harassed the actress for four days and later switched off his mobile phone. On questioning, Madhu claimed that he didnt know that it was Hemas mobile number since he randomly dialled phone numbers with an intention to harass unknown people. Similarly, several other persons were subjected to humiliation by him, but they did not lodge any complaint, Madhapur sub-inspector Ranjith Kumar said. According to police, Madhu, who is unemployed, speaks in lewd language and, if the caller does not respond, he would send vulgar SMSs. During investigation, police came to know that Madhu had bought a second-hand mobile and took a SIM using fake documents. It was last month that Hema approached police informing that an anonymous person had been troubling her by calling and sending SMSs. For 48 hours I suffered and since I could not take it anymore, I approached police. I understand that he has been tracked down and taken into custody. The person called me innumerable times on November 20-21. There was no let up in the calls and in the messages that he sent. When I told him that I was approaching police, he still continued to talk in vulgar language, Hema told TOI. It is learnt that a software engineer from Hyderabad was among his victims. A girl, who was tortured, reportedly consumed sleeping pills in the night and slept so that she would not be bothered. The culprit reportedly also sent lewd messages to the wife of a headmaster in Nalgonda district, and some housewives. A lot of women put up with such people who harass them and do not approach police out of fear. That should not be the case. They should take their family members into confidence and then approach police, Hema said. When the culprits are arrested and punished, it will send a signal to anti- social elements who indulge in such vulgar acts that they would ultimately be caught, she said. The actress said if the culprits were allowed to go scot-free, it might be possible that women who suffer silently might resort to committing suicide out of fear. There is no need to feel scared. Women must lodge police complaints if they are harassed, the actress said. Hema said the culprits should be booked under the Nirbhya Act, if that could act as a deterrent. The culprit was arrested under section 354 (Outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 11:42:38 +0000