In a disturbing case highlighting the risks associated with online dating platforms, Gurgaon police have arrested four individuals for allegedly kidnapping a young man after contacting him through the LGBTQIA+ community dating app, Grindr. The accused reportedly extorted a total of Rs 37,000 from the victim's family before being apprehended.
The Kidnapping and Ransom Demand
The incident came to light after the 20-year-old victim's father filed a missing person report on December 6. He stated that his son had left for a gurudwara in New Colony, Sector 7, around 4:30 am and never returned. Police investigations quickly shifted from a missing person case to a suspected kidnapping for ransom.
Probe revealed that the victim had been befriended on the Grindr app approximately 10 days before the abduction. The accused allegedly lured him to a spot near a roundabout on the Dwarka Expressway. There, they forced him into a rented black Scorpio vehicle, injected him with narcotics, and began driving towards Haridwar.
While en route, the kidnappers started making WhatsApp calls to the victim's family, demanding ransom. The extortion was executed through multiple transactions: Rs 21,000 was transferred into a bank account belonging to a man named Manpreet, Rs 6,000 into another account, and Rs 10,000 via a transfer made using the victim's own phone.
Police Crackdown and Arrests
A joint team from the Palam Vihar crime branch and Rajendra Park police successfully tracked and arrested the four accused at Umri Chowk in Kurukshetra. The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Ajay (21)
- Deepesh alias Deepu (18)
- Ashish alias Golu (18) - all from Pichopa Kalan in Charkhi Dadri
- Anil (33) from Gadrai village in Rajasthan
During the operation, police safely rescued the kidnapped youth. They also seized the car used in the crime and 11 mobile phones from the possession of the accused.
A Second Victim and Criminal Motive
Further investigation uncovered a shocking twist. Manpreet, whose bank account was used to receive part of the ransom money, was himself a victim. He had been kidnapped by the same gang earlier that day from Assandh in Karnal. Police rescued him as well and handed him over to the Thanesar Sadar police station in Kurukshetra.
Authorities revealed that the accused are drug addicts who carried out the abductions to fund their addiction. This case has also helped police solve another kidnapping linked to the group. All four arrested men are set to be produced in court to face charges.
This incident serves as a stark reminder for users of dating and social networking apps to exercise extreme caution when meeting individuals in person, especially in isolated locations. Police advise verifying identities and informing trusted contacts about meet-up plans.
