Agra police have made a significant breakthrough in a disturbing extortion case, arresting two individuals on Tuesday for allegedly operating a racket that trapped men using compromising videos. The accused have been identified as Ganesh Singh and a woman whose name has been withheld.
Modus Operandi: A Trap of Deception and Blackmail
According to the police, the racket followed a calculated pattern. The case came to light after a victim filed a complaint at the Kamla Nagar police station. He stated that on September 6, he received a missed call from an unknown number. Upon calling back, a woman answered and later convinced him to meet her in the Kamla Nagar area.
During the meeting, the woman allegedly spiked his drink, causing him to lose consciousness. Days later, he received a call from a man named Pravesh, who threatened to frame him in a sexual assault case using fabricated evidence and demanded money. When the victim refused, he faced repeated threats.
Police Investigation and Seizures
Following the complaint, an FIR was registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 123 (causing hurt by means of poison), 308(6) (extortion), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy). During the investigation, police arrested Ganesh Singh and the woman accomplice. From their possession, authorities seized a pen drive and a mobile phone containing obscene videos of the victims.
Agra DCP (City) Sayed Ali Abbas provided chilling details. "The seized devices contained videos of at least three victims — one from Madhaura, one from Fatehabad, and the complainant," he said. The woman revealed that she would befriend men over phone calls using numbers provided by other accused. She would then invite them to meet, spike their drinks, and record compromising videos, which were later used to extort money.
Masterminds at Large and Financial Motive
The police confirmed that the racket was led by two men, Riyaz and Pradeep, who are currently absconding. Another accused, Pravesh, who made the threatening calls, is also on the run. The investigation revealed that the gang had successfully extorted large sums from their victims. DCP Abbas stated that amounts of Rs 4 lakh and Rs 12 lakh were taken from the two other identified victims.
Police disclosed that the arrested woman, a resident of Bah, was introduced to this criminal activity by Pradeep and later Riyaz. She reportedly fell into substantial debt due to losses in online gaming and joined the gang as a means to repay the money.
The police are continuing their search for the absconding accused and are investigating if there are more victims targeted by this elaborate extortion scheme.
