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Dubai-based RJ held in Kerala over cyber crime

Alleged professional rivalry between two Dubai-based radio jockeys hailing from Kerala has landed one of them in police net in her home state.

Gayathri, a resident of Pettah in the state capital of Trivandrum, was arrested by the Ernakulam North Town police along with Ashwin Kumar, a merchant navy official from Palakkad on the charge of distributing nude photographs of her colleague through email.

The two have been arrested under Information Technology (IT) Act section 66A, which is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and/or a fine which may extend to Rs500,000, and section 67 punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years and also with fine which may extend to Rs200,000.

Gayathri and Ashwin, who admitted to the crime, were later freed on bail by the court. The Ernakulam North Town police said Gayathri had plotted against the victim after the latter replaced her on a prime radio show. She befriended Ashwin with the motive of defaming the young woman, who hails from Kathrikkadavu in Kochi.

Ashwin, who had an affair with the victim, obliged her by giving the pictures he took when they lived together after her divorce. The victim moved to Dubai after Ashwin declined to marry her.

Gayathri allegedly sent these photographs to the personal email of the victim, then to her relatives and to her official contacts through a fake email ID. The police said Ashwin had also distributed the pictures to some common friends.

The police are also on the lookout for one Shibin, who reportedly introduced Ashwin to Gayathri.

The arrests have been made on the basis of a complaint filed by the victim’s parents with K. Padmakumar, Inspector-General of Police, Kochi Range, who referred the complaint to the police’s cyber cell.

The cyber cell found the allegation correct and handed over further investigation to the local police.

Gayathri initially denied any involvement in the incident. She alleged the hand of the victim’s first husband behind it. However, the police suspected Gayathri’s involvement when the email IDs of other employees in her company were found leaked.

The police, who were tracking the movement of Gayathri, found that she had left Dubai.

Though they were told that she had come to Kerala in connection with the illness of a close relative, the police found her in New Delhi. The police later summoned her to Kochi and arrested her. Gayathri, who had worked with All India Radio in Kerala, has been working in Dubai since 1997 in the radio field in different capacities, including as a producer.

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