Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has turned down the bail plea of a 31-year-old Nigerian national accused of abetting the suicide of a female doctor in Cuttack through sustained blackmail and extortion, while also facing serious charges related to forged documents and illegal overstaying in India.
Justice Gourishankar Satapathy rejected the application filed by Djedje Raymond, also known as Chijioke John Okoye, after hearing arguments on April 9. The judge cited the gravity of the allegations, which include abetment of suicide, forgery, and violations under immigration laws, stating that the materials on record did not justify his release at this stage.
Okoye, a resident of Abidjan in Nigeria, was arrested by Cuttack police from Delhi on March 24, 2025, roughly three weeks after the victim, a doctor in her mid-30s, died by suicide on March 1, 2025, at her residence in Cuttack. A suicide note recovered by police explicitly blamed the accused for prolonged harassment and threats.
According to the prosecution, Okoye allegedly contacted the victim via social media in January 2025, posing as a Delhi-based doctor, built a personal relationship, and later blackmailed her with private or intimate content, coercing her to transfer money. He reportedly continued threatening her over phone and WhatsApp, leading to her tragic decision. Police recovered the mobile phone and SIM details linked to the communications, as mentioned in the suicide note.
The case, registered at Dargha Bazar Police Station in Cuttack in 2025, is pending before the District & Sessions Judge. A charge sheet has been filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetment of suicide, the Information Technology Act for digital offences, the Passports Act, 1967, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
Additional Public Prosecutor R.B. Mishra strongly opposed the bail, highlighting the continuous intimidation and the accused’s status as a foreign national who had overstayed his welcome. Records from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Hyderabad showed that Okoye entered India on November 23, 2019, on a tourist visa but remained without valid papers after April 2020. Further probes revealed forged documents, including a visa number belonging to someone else and a suspected fake visa sticker, suggesting impersonation. Police also seized two passports — one Nigerian and one from Ivory Coast — from him.
Reports indicate Okoye may have targeted other victims as well, with evidence of extortion payments from individuals in Kenya and New Zealand. He allegedly used fake profiles on platforms like Facebook to impersonate professionals and carry out similar scams.
The HC observed that given the prima facie evidence and the serious nature of the offences, combining personal blackmail leading to suicide with immigration violations, it was not inclined to grant bail. The petition was filed on December 22.
