Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 7: Following a complaint by a city-based model, the Bengaluru cyber crime police have arrested a 52-year-old cartoonist for harassing the woman for sexual relationship.

Belagavi native Tamanna Pakirappa Hadimani, who worked as a designer for a Kannada and English magazine in Bengaluru came in contact with the model a few days ago.

He then started harassing her with lewd messages on Whatsapp and Facebook messenger and also sent nude photographs. He forced her to have a physical relationship with him.

The model took screenshots of the messages and warned Hadimani that she will show the same to his wife. However as Hadimani continued in spite of the warning, she uploaded his messages on Facebook and filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime police on January 28.

Hadimani learnt that his messages have become viral on social media and he deleted them from his phone and absconded to Belagavi and took shelter in a lodge. The police traced him on the basis of his call records and he was arrested at a bus station in Gokak.

On February 5, Hadimani was brought back to Bengaluru and produced before the magistrate. He has been taken into custody for further investigation. Police have seized two mobile phones and sent them to Forensic Science Laboratory to retrieve the deleted messages.

Investigations reveal that Hadimani was arrested by Ashok Nagar police four years ago for a similar offence. He was released on bail, while the case is still pending in the court.