In another disturbing incident of extortion and torture, a Delhi man who was staying at a hotel in Paharganj was beaten up and robbed by goons. He was also made to pose with a naked woman and pay 15k to get rid of the threatening situation. The incident was reported by journalist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj on microblogging platform X.
As per the report by Bhardwaj, she got a "frantic call" from a friend whose colleague went to Delhi for a conference. He booked a cheap hotel in Paharganj to dump his luggage and attend the conference. However, when he returned to pick up his luggage, within minutes 4-5 goons barged into his room including a woman.
Before he could understand what was happening, the men slapped and hit him. The woman who accompanied the goons immediately stripped.
In her tweet, Bhardwaj wrote, "They then took his pics with the woman and threatened that if he said anything, these photos would be made public. He was asked to pay 15,000 rupees to leave. He hasn't lodged a complaint because it seems that the police were also involved. He paid up and ran from there."
This is not the first time that people have been made prey to extortion.
Other similar cases of extortion
Earlier this month, a female lawyer from Bengaluru was made to strip on camera by cybercriminals who also demanded 15 lakh rupees from her. The perpetrators contacted the lawyer in the guise of a narcotics test and ended up threatening her about sharing her nude videos on the web until she paid the demanded amount.
In January 2024, a 25-year-old woman in Bengaluru's Jalahalli was facing emotional turmoil after a recent break-up. To find solace, she connected with an internet-found astrologer Ahmed along with his associates Abdul and Liyakhatulla. However, the astrologer duped her into paying a hefty amount of 4.1 lakhs. The astrologer used to threaten her about leaking intimate pictures of her and her ex-boyfriend.
Then in October 2022, a 22-year-old man Abbuzar Rehman was arrested by North-east Delhi's cyber police for ensnaring young women by posing as a Spanish actor. He used to create a bond with the women, get them to share personal pictures and then use them to extort money.
Spike in the cases of extortion
Cases of extortion have seen a spike. In Thane alone, 69 cases of extortion were reported in the year 2023. According to police officials, the growth of the economy in the city has become a breeding ground for extortionists who target financially independent people to seek money. The official said, "The targets of such criminal activities primarily include businessmen, builders, traders, contractors, hoteliers, and even government officials.”
The police officer further added, "We have zero tolerance against such blackmailing. The senior officials have ordered a crackdown and it shall be dealt swiftly without any hesitation."
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