Twist In Kerala Extortion Case, Accused's Family Claims Torture

A blackmail case in Kerala's Thrissur has taken a sharp dramatic turn, with the family of a minor girl releasing audio evidence they say exposes a pattern of extortion, while the family of an accused who died by suicide accuses the police of driving their son to his death.

The girl's elder sister, who lives abroad, has come forward in a video statement to counter what she called a one-sided narrative spreading on social media. "We have done nothing wrong," she said, adding that the family has preserved screenshots, voice recordings and complaint receipts and will submit them in court.

According to the complaint, the girl was allegedly lured into a relationship and her private images were obtained. These images were allegedly used to threaten her and extort 20 sovereigns of gold and Rs 50,000 from the family. The sister says the threats later reached her too, through Instagram.

Brothers Sahal and Mohammed Aslam, natives of Erisheppalam in Kodungallur, were named as accused.

The Audio And The Visit

The recording released by the family captures demands for money, threats to make the girl's images public, and discussions on squeezing more money out of the sister abroad.

The sister also described an unsettling incident. One of the accused  walked into the family's home, expecting the girl to open the door. When her parents answered, instead, he claimed he had come to borrow an air pump and left. He filmed the visit and sent the video to the sister as a warning.

Police say nine sovereigns of gold were sold to buy an Innova car. Rs 2 lakh was  given towards a friend's sister's wedding, and the rest was spent on two iPhones. A friend in Bengaluru who helped sell the gold is also under the scanner.

More Victims Feared

Investigators examining the brothers' phones found photographs and details of other girls. Police are now trying to identify them and establish whether others were similarly targeted.

Mohammed Aslam, 18, died by suicide on October 6. He had been held at a juvenile home after his arrest and was released on bail after four days.

His father, PM Noushad, alleges both sons were brutally beaten and mentally tortured in custody, that they were produced in court only after three days, and that the Kodungallur Circle Inspector threatened they would never see the outside world again. The family says the assault on Sahal and the resulting trauma pushed Aslam to take his life.

The police have rejected the allegations, maintaining that the complaint was backed by evidence and that every step was taken in accordance with the law. The court and the Juvenile Justice Board acted after examining the evidence, they said.

Noushad has demanded an independent inquiry into the custodial assault allegations.