A man posing as a traditional healer has been arrested in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali for allegedly raping a teenage girl on the promise of marriage and blackmailing her with secretly recorded videos.
The arrestee, Taijul Islam Musa, 40, was picked up by members of the Special Response Battalion-8 from Chowrasta on Tuesday night and handed over to police.
The girl's stepfather filed a case on August 31 against Musa and 10 others with Kalapara Police Station.
Musa allegedly developed a close relationship with the girl while visiting her family's rented house for treatment. He later allegedly raped her on the promise of marriage, while his associates secretly recorded intimate videos.
When the girl pressed him to marry her, Musa allegedly refused. The videos were subsequently sent to different WhatsApp numbers, including those of the landlord and the family.
On October 15, Musa and his associates allegedly threatened to spread the videos on social media if she did not comply with their demand to stop.
Kalapara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Nazrul Islam said the arrested man would be produced before a court on Wednesday, while efforts were underway to arrest the other accused.