High Court: Man accused of blackmailing a minor by threatening to leak nude photos released unlawfully

High Court has ruled that an individual from a Noonu Atoll island, accused of blackmailing a minor by threatening to leak nude photographs, was released from custody unlawfully by the island’s magistrate court.

The case concerns a man from Noonu Atoll island who was arrested in mid-December last year on suspicion of blackmailing a minor by threatening to leak nude photographs.

While his remand had been extended on four separate occasions, the prosecution petitioned to the magistrate court to remand the suspect in custody pending the outcome of his trial. However, the court ordered his release, despite three charges having already been filed against him at that time.

The magistrate court’s decision was appealed to the High Court by the prosecution. A majority of the three-judge bench that presided over the appeal determined that the lower court’s decision to release the suspect was unlawful. The appellate court also ordered to make a new decision regarding the suspect's emand within five days.

According to the case report, the magistrate court had initially justified its decision to release the suspect on the basis that there was no risk of witness intimidation. The court reasoned that the victim and the suspect resided on separate islands and noted that the evidence in the case primarily comprised forensic and digital materials. The court also observed that the interactions in question had occurred through social media platforms.