In a disturbing case of cyber crime, a cyber cafe operator and his brother have been booked in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi district for allegedly blackmailing a 25-year-old woman by creating AI-generated obscene images of her. Police confirmed the development on Saturday.
Accused Identified
The accused have been identified as Talib, who runs a cyber cafe in Ghosiya, and his brother Rafiq. According to investigators, the duo allegedly extorted Rs 50,000 from the woman by threatening to upload the morphed photos online.
How the Crime Unfolded
Police revealed that Talib initially connected with the woman through Instagram, where they had conversations. Using photos uploaded on her social media account, he allegedly created obscene images with the help of artificial intelligence. He then sent these images to her, demanding money to keep them private.
Fearing that the pictures would be circulated online, the woman reportedly paid Rs 50,000 to the accused in Gyanpur. However, the accused contacted her again in April and allegedly sent the morphed images to her husband's phone after tracing her in-laws' address. They threatened to leak old chats and the fake photos publicly to damage her marriage if more money was not paid.
Victim's Marriage and Complaint
The woman had married in Varanasi on February 8, 2025. Following a complaint submitted by her father to Superintendent of Police Abhinav Tyagi on May 13, police conducted a raid at the accused's house on Friday. However, both accused were absconding at the time of the raid.
Legal Action
A case has been registered against the duo under Section 308(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to extortion, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act. Police said preliminary findings suggest the brothers may have targeted several other women using the same method and allegedly collected lakhs of rupees through blackmail.
Efforts are underway to arrest the accused. Authorities have urged other potential victims to come forward and report similar incidents.
