The special investigation team (SIT) probing the extortion and blackmailing complaint of south Indian actor Shamna Kasim on Saturday arrested main accused Mohammad Sharief from Palakkad in Kerala.
Shamna Kasim has acted in more than 40 films across Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu cinema. (Photo@shamna_kasim)
“We tracked a gang of imposters led by Sharief. Only one girl had complained about sexual advances. We will charge them with human trafficking, insulting woman’s modesty, cheating, criminal conspiracy and other sections. We are not ruling out their connection with the film world,” said Kochi police commissioner Vijay Sakhare.
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With this development, the number of people arrested in the case went up to seven, the SIT said.
Besides Shamna, four models have filed separate cases against them for extortion, blackmail and criminal intimidation.
The SIT found that Sharief used to give advertisements for modelling and then used to trap them. They were then allegedly blackmailed into working as escorts and gold carriers.
On Wednesday, the police had arrested four persons for allegedly threatening and extorting money from the family of Shamna. The actor’s father in his complaint said the blackmailers were threatening to release some video clips of his daughter if they were not given money.
Police arrested them after tracking the calls made to the father and actor. After Shamna’s father filed the complaint six others came up with similar stories. Shamna has acted in more than 40 films across Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu cinema.
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The SIT said four FIRs have been filed and investigation is on in two other complaints.
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The SIT said four FIRs have been filed and investigation is on in two other complaints.
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