In a major development, the Hyderabad police have taken trainee IPS officer Uday Krishna Reddy into custody after he evaded authorities for nearly ten days. The officer faces severe charges including sexual harassment, physical assault, sending obscene messages, and blackmailing a 30-year-old female trainee IPS colleague after secretly recording a private video of her. Attapur police successfully tracked down and apprehended the accused after forming four special search teams.
Details of the Harassment and Assault Allegations
The case came to light on July 18, when the 30-year-old victim filed a formal complaint at the Attapur Police Station. According to the complaint, the pattern of harassment began on June 23. The complainant alleged that Uday repeatedly sent her obscene WhatsApp messages, used abusive language, and passed derogatory remarks about her in the presence of other trainee officers, causing severe mental distress.
The victim further alleged extreme physical violence and coercion. She stated that Uday forcibly took her mobile phone, coerced her into revealing her passcode, locked her inside his room, pulled her hair, and attempted to strangle her while threatening her with a knife. Furthermore, the accused secretly filmed a private video of her and subsequently sent it to her husband as part of a blackmail tactic to intimidate her. Another instance of physical assault reportedly took place on July 10.
Shattering Legal Charges Under BNS and IT Act
Based on the detailed complaint, the Attapur police registered a criminal case under multiple stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. The BNS charges include Section 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), Section 75 (sexual harassment), Section 77 (voyeurism), Section 78 (stalking), Section 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman), Section 127(2) (wrongful confinement), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation).
Additionally, the police invoked Sections 66E (privacy violation) and 67A (transmitting sexually explicit content in electronic form) of the IT Act due to the unauthorized recording and distribution of the private footage.
The Sympathy Plot, Hospitalization, and Disappearance
Following the registration of the case, Uday Krishna posted a statement on Instagram denying all allegations, claiming the narrative against him was false and asserting his faith in the legal process. Shortly thereafter, he was discovered heavily intoxicated and unconscious at a relative's residence in Motinagar. Rumors circulated that he had attempted suicide, leading to his admission to a hospital.
However, police investigations later indicated that the incident was staged to garner public and institutional sympathy. After receiving medical care, Uday was discharged from the hospital on July 22, after which he immediately went untraceable and went into hiding to avoid police action.
Police Search and Ultimate Custody
Police attempted to serve legal notices to Uday at both addresses provided in his official records, but he was missing from both locations. By Sunday, his mobile phone had been switched off, prompting authorities to intensify their efforts. Hyderabad police then constituted four specialized teams dedicated to tracking his movements.
On Tuesday, the police successfully located and taken Uday Krishna Reddy into custody, approximately ten days after the initial case was registered. Police stated that he is being subjected to mandatory medical examinations before being formally produced in court for further judicial proceedings.
