The Allahabad High Court has instructed that a man facing blackmail charges undergo a mental health evaluation. The directive came during a bail hearing tied to allegations involving explicit images and online posts. Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal observed that messages and material linked to the applicant suggested he might not be of sound mind.
The order was issued in the bail application of Rahul Kumar Saroj. He faces accusations of obtaining private photographs of the complainant and using them to extort money. The court declined bail after reviewing the language of the communications and the content reportedly shared on social media.
The bench directed the chief medical officer in Kaushambi to perform the examination and place the report on the case file before the district court. The FIR, filed at Manjhanpur police station, invokes sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act.
Prosecutors stated the accused allegedly accessed the victim’s phone, obtained explicit material, and threatened to circulate it unless paid five lakh rupees. The victim also recorded statements before police and a magistrate. Defence counsel claimed the two had been in a relationship and that the complaint was filed after a marriage proposal was rejected. The court cited the nature of the messages and images when refusing bail.
