Thiruvananthapuram: Social media influencer Vineeth, accused of sexually assaulting a girl after luring her to a lodge on the pretext of teaching her tips to do viral Instagram videos, led a luxurious life. The native of Kilimanoor used to arrive in brand new cars every week, according to local residents.
Complaints continue to pour in against the Tik Tok star, who has moved to Instagram following the ban of the Chinese app in India. Another woman, a housewife, has lodged a complaint with Thampanoor police claiming that Vineeth had made her private videos and obtained the password of her social media accounts after establishing a friendship.
According to police, many women are raising similar charges against Vineeth via phone but are unwilling to file written complaints due to fear of damage to their reputation.
A history-sheeter
Five years ago, a case was lodged against Vineeth for stealing gold from a car parked in the compound of a marriage hall at Kallambalam. He is also an accused in a bike theft case registered with the Cantonment Police. Three months back, he was caught in a CCTV stealing liquor bottles from a beverage shop, but no case was registered.
Once the news of Vineeth's arrest was out, many Instagram handles associated with him disappeared. Vineeth gained popularity through TikTok clips but moved to Instagram following the ban of the Chinese app.
According to police, Vineeth used to befriend many young women promising them tips to make viral videos on Instagram. He used to take advantage of the friendship and exploit them in many ways.
Many of the victims refrained from lodging complaints as he used to blackmail them by threatening to upload their private videos on social media.
Vineeth had around five lakh followers on social media. He led a luxurious life using the revenue he earned from this handle. He used to lie to young women that he was working with the police or employed with a private channel.
The police examined his mobile phone and found he had relationships with many women, especially married ones. He had stored chat snaps and private moments with them on his mobile. The victims were misled by his huge fan following, and he easily won their trust, police said.
Thampanoor police arrested Vineeth based on a complaint filed by a Kollam native. In her complaint, she alleged that the social media star befriended her under the guise of helping her make viral videos on Instagram. But he recorded her private videos and blackmailed her into coming to a private lodge at Thampanoor, where he sexually harassed her.
