A Chennai-based bodybuilder, R Manikandan, who has won Mr World and Mr Tamil Nadu titles, was arrested by Poonamallee All Women Police on Sunday, November 21, for allegedly physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend and threatening her. The arrest by the All Women Police Station was initiated based on a complaint filed by the 30-year-old woman at the Chennai Commissioner’s office a few days before.
Manikandan, 29, is well-known in the fitness industry in Chennai and runs two gyms in the city. He has participated in several bodybuilding competitions in India and abroad, and won the Mr World title thrice and Mr Tamil Nadu title four times.
Manikandan and the 30-year-old woman met through a dating app in October 2019 and got into a relationship. On November 20, 2021, the woman posted images of her heavily bruised face on her personal Instagram account. She alleged that the injuries were caused by Manikandan when he punched her in the face.
Below the post, the woman wrote: "It was a perfect relationship between us – until one day I felt his hand on my face.” She went on to say that he allegedly tried to strangle her as well.
“My life turned upside down the moment he punched me. I was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused. He degraded me, he stripped me of all my power. I began to question my self-worth and self-confidence,” she further wrote.
The woman, in her post, also alleged that Manikandan threatened to kill her if she revealed the abuse to anyone. Subsequently, she found out that he was allegedly in romantic relationships with other women while being in a relationship with her. “I made up my mind: I wasn’t going back. He managed to track me down. He showed up at my doorway. I went through the whole cycle again. Despite everything that’s happened, I’m exposing my abuser and I don't want anyone to go through what I went through,” she wrote.
Speaking to TNM, the woman said, “Going through the abuse and talking about it in public has taken a serious toll on my physical and mental health. However, I will continue to move this case legally.
“A few media reports claim that I was in a live-in relationship with Manikandan, this is absolutely false. I request the media to check my interviews given so far to know my version of the story,” added the woman.
Following the complaint filed by the woman, along with photographs and videos of her injuries allegedly from the abuse, the Poonamallee All Women Police arrested Manikandan and seized his phone. The police further said that an inquiry has begun.