BENGALURU, April 6 -- A businessman in Bengaluru has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting and blackmailing a woman customs officer, with investigators now examining whether the case is part of a broader pattern of exploitation, police said on Sunday.

According to police, the accused, identified as M Kripalani, was taken into custody following a complaint filed by the officer, who approached the police after prolonged alleged harassment. The case was initially registered at Yelahanka Police Station and later transferred to Indiranagar Police Station, where a detailed investigation was taken up by the Pulikeshinagara subdivision police.

According to investigators, the accused and the officer had known each other for nearly nine...