Bengaluru, July 15: The women’s police in Karnataka’s Davanagere have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against a local gym owner for allegedly blackmailing and sexually assaulting a 30-year-old married woman. The accused has been identified as Ismail, who owns Power Fitness Gym near Durgambika School in Nittuvalli.
According to the police complaint, the victim had been attending the gym for the past year and a half. It is alleged that Ismail recorded objectionable videos and took photos of the woman without her consent in the gym’s changing room.
The complaint states that for the last three to four months, the accused had been threatening the woman with these videos and photos, pressuring her for sexual relations. He reportedly threatened to circulate the videos and images on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, claiming he would tarnish the reputation of both the woman and her husband, who is said to be a local professor.
Fearing social stigma, the victim initially refrained from disclosing the incidents to anyone.
The complaint details an incident on the night of March 28, when the accused called the woman, threatening that if she did not come to the gym, he would come to her house and show the pictures to her family. Out of fear, the woman arrived at the gym around 11 PM, where it is alleged that Ismail took advantage of her vulnerability and raped her. He also threatened to kill her and her family if she reported the incident.
Eventually, the victim confided in her husband about the entire ordeal, leading to a formal complaint being lodged with the police on July 15.
Based on the woman’s written complaint, the Davanagere women’s police have registered the case under crime number 97/2026. The case has been filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 2023. An investigation is currently underway under the supervision of Police Inspector Manjappa Kuppeluru, with plans to inspect the crime scene soon to gather evidence.
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