Sexual assault, threats, abusive messages: Bengaluru University professor arrested for harassment, extortion

The complainant approached the Basaveshwaranagar police station on October 9, accusing B C Mylarappa of harassing her over several months.

A Bengaluru University professor was arrested on Friday following allegations of prolonged sexual harassment, intimidation, and attempted extortion by a 37-year-old woman.

The woman reportedly knew the professor since 2022.(Representational Image/pexel)

The complainant approached the Basaveshwaranagar police station on October 9, accusing B C Mylarappa of harassing her over several months and demanding ₹1.5 crore. The woman reportedly knew the professor since 2022 when she worked at the Karnataka State Harijan Sevak Sangh in Sadashivanagar, as per a report by news agency PTI.

According to the complaint, after the death of the woman’s husband, Mylarappa initially offered assistance with a property dispute. However, he allegedly began harassing her, interfering in family matters, and making repeated threats.

The woman claimed that the professor tried to coerce her into signing documents that would hold her family lawyer responsible for any future issues. When she refused, he reportedly verbally abused and physically assaulted her, seized her phone, and made false allegations to her brother, who resides abroad.

The FIR also mentions a woman named Jayamma, said to represent a women’s organisation, who allegedly sent threatening calls and messages and circulated false rumours linking the complainant to her family lawyer.

Police further stated that Mylarappa repeatedly visited the woman’s Basaveshwaranagar residence, rang the doorbell for hours, sent abusive messages, and threatened to damage her reputation unless she complied with his demands.

Based on her complaint, police registered a case against Mylarappa and Jayamma under Sections 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment), 78 (stalking), 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the relevant Act, police said.

"We have arrested the professor. Two cases have been filed against him — one pertains to harassing the woman and the other to creating a disturbance. After the first case was filed, the professor went to the victim’s house and her lawyer’s house in anger and caused a disturbance," a senior police officer told PTI.

(With PTI Inputs)