Kottayam: The Vaikom Judicial First Class Magistrate Court has recently remanded a woman and her partner to 14 days in judicial custody for extorting money from a private school principal in Vaikom.

The accused are Neha Fathima (25) from Thrissur and her partner, Sarathy Basheer (28) from Bengaluru. The duo also threatened to publicise explicit images of the victim, a Christian priest, in exchange for money.

Neha Fathima initially approached the victim in April 2023 to inquire about vacancies at the school. After gaining his trust and developing a relationship with him, she began blackmailing the priest with photographs she had taken along with the victim.

The accused extorted Rs 22 lakhs the first time, Rs 39 lakhs in May 2023, and Rs 10 lakhs on January 6, 2025. However, the victim eventually filed a complaint with Vaikom police.

In a subsequent investigation, the cops arrested the duo and charged them under sections 308(2) (extortion) and 3(5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS).