Delhi: Gang of extortionists busted, three held

New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) With the arrest of three men, Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Tuesday claimed to have busted a gang of fraudsters who extorted around Rs 1.8 crore from a retired ITBP Commandant after blackmailing and threatening him to upload his obscene video online, said a senior police official.

The accused have been identified as Jarif (30), a resident of district Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Neeraj (22) and Ajit Singh (23)- both residents of district Mathura (Uttar Pradesh).

"Information was received in Inter State Cell that a retired Commandant from ITBP had filed a complaint with South West District Police, in which he alleged that he came across a woman on 'Whatsapp', who threatened him to viral an obscene video on various social media," said Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime).

"Subsequently, he received a phone call from a person, who posed himself as Inspector Ram Kumar Malhotra from Crime Branch, Delhi Police and extorted money on pretext to block the obscene video on social media," said the Special CP.

Later, the victim was told by the sextortionist gang that the girl, who had called the victim, had committed suicide in Rajasthan and further told the victim that matter has now become complicated and murder case will be registered against him.

"The gang further extorted money pretending to be senior police officers and officials of MHA, at different intervals to close the murder case. In the sequence of incidents, the accused persons had extorted a total sum of about Rs 1.8 crore. Even after that, they were demanding more money from the complainant," said the Special CP.

During the investigation, the police team collected information and analysed more than 200 mobile phones and obtained details of more than 20 bank accounts of various banks.

"After analysis of the bank accounts details, it was revealed that alleged persons had extorted about Rs 1.80 crore. Further, after technical analysis, it was established that they used to operate the gang from Mathura and Bharatpur from different mobile phone numbers," said the Special CP.

Raids were conducted in Bharatpur and Mathura and all the three accused were nabbed.

Police said that further investigation is going on.