27-yr-old man extorted after meeting through dating app in Anandnagar

Ahmedabad: A 27-year-old man from Surat, currently working in a private company and staying in a PG accommodation in the Anandnagar area of the city, filed a complaint with the police on Monday. He alleged that four men trapped him after he approached one of them through a dating app and extorted Rs 5.90 lakh from him.According to the FIR filed with Anandnagar police, the man downloaded an app to explore gay dating. On March 24, he received a message from an unknown person. After chatting for some time, they decided to meet near a fast-food outlet on 100 Feet Road in Anandnagar.The two travelled by rickshaw from Anandnagar to a place near Juhapura. There, another man appeared and accused them of attempting theft. Another individual soon arrived, claiming to be a police officer. He accused the victim of being involved in a theft case and demanded Rs 3 lakh to avoid arrest.The victim, frightened by the threats, first transferred Rs 1.5 lakh through a digital payment app. Later, he was forced to withdraw Rs 40,000 using his credit card at an ATM.Over the next few days, the victim received calls from a person identifying himself as Ajay Rathod from Vejalpur police station, who demanded more money and threatened to implicate him in a false case, harm him physically, and end his career.The victim paid different amounts through cash and digital transfers between March 24 and May 18, totalling Rs 5.90 lakh. Anandnagar police registered a complaint of impersonating a public servant, extortion, using abusive language, and abetment against unknown persons and began an investigation.