Malappuram: A Kerala fisherman, who was lauded in 2018 for the way he helped three stranded women get out of a flooded road, has been booked by police on the allegations of moral policing. During the August 2018 floods, he had enabled the women to step on his back so that they are able to get into an NDRF inflatable boat.
Tanur Police Circle Inspector Jeevan George informed that the fresh incident, for which the fisherman has been booked, took place at Thooval Theeram beach on April 15.
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Back in 2018, KP Jaisa had won praise as he kneeled down in waist-deep water to rescue 3 women, including one with an infant, so that they could get into the National Disaster Response Force boat in Vengara's Muthalamadaarea.
But now he has been accused of blackmailing a man using a photo he took of him with a woman. According to the police, he allegedly threatened to post the picture on social media if he was not paid Rs 1 lakh.
The man immediately transferred Rs 5000 through his mobile wallet and promised to pay the remaining amount later. However, the aggrieved person also approached the police and filed a complaint.
Police said an FIR has been filed against Jaisal and another person at Tanur police station in the alleged moral policing incident.
Jaisal and his accomplice are absconding, police said.
Kerala was ravaged by the worst floods in a century in August 2018 due to unusually high rainfall during the South West Monsoon which claimed at least 483 lives and displaced at least 14.50 lakh people who had to be shifted to relief camps.
Scores of fishermen had emerged as the unsung heroes who stepped in to help stranded people.
In 2019 also, the state was hit by floods in which over 100 people had lost their lives.
(With agency inputs)