Bhubaneswar: The Cyber Police in Odisha’s Berhampur city today arrested an Excise Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) on charges of blackmailing his former lover with intimate photos.

The accused has been identified as Surendra Pradhan, an ASI at Athmallik Excise police station in Angul district. Pradhan was earlier working at the Excise intelligence unit in Berhampur.

According to police, Pradhan came in contact with a woman of Berhampur through the social media. The accused developed a relationship with the woman on the promise of marriage.

Pradhan had allegedly captured photos of their intimate moments in his phone. He later blackmailed the victim and sought money from the latter by threatening her with those photos, police said.

The victim reportedly sent Rs 40,000 to Pradhan through a digital payment platform after borrowing the amount from some sources a few days ago. However, the accused asked her to send more.

The woman lodged a complaint in this regard with the Cyber Police in Berhampur yesterday.

On the basis of the complaint, the police registered a case and arrested the accused from Athmallik. He was later produced in a court in Berhampur.