NEW DELHI: A 45-year-old businessman from Himachal Pradesh was allegedly duped and extorted of nearly Rs 2 lakh after being lured to Delhi by a woman he had befriended online five months ago.
On May 18, the woman invited him to Najafgarh Metro Station under the pretext of discussing a business proposal. Unaware of the trap ahead, the businessman agreed to meet her.
Once there, he was taken to a nearby house by the woman and her friend, where two men—posing as police officers—barged into the house and accused him of illegal activity, threatening jail time unless he paid up. Delhi Police has since apprehended the two men.
The complainant, a resident of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, told police: “Around four to five months ago, I befriended a girl through social media. We started chatting on WhatsApp. On May 18, she asked me to meet her at gate number 1 of Najafgarh Metro Station, saying it was related to her business. Around 12.15 pm, I met her at the metro station. She was accompanied by another girl. They both suggested we go to their house to talk.”
The group then took an erickshaw to Najafgarh Phase-2 and went to a double-storey house with two rooms. While they were speaking inside, two men suddenly entered—one dressed in a police uniform with two stars while the other in a safari suit, he said.
“They began threatening us, claiming we were involved in immoral activities, and said they would take us to the police station. They intimidated me, saying if I paid Rs 2.1 lakh, they would let me go; otherwise, they would send me to jail,” the complainant added.
The complainant said that he got frightened and agreed to pay. As he didn’t have the full amount, he sent a QR code provided by the blackmailers to his friend via WhatsApp, asking him to transfer Rs 1 lakh. His friend grew suspicious and alerted the police.
“Police began calling me, which caused the blackmailers to panic. They rushed me into a car and took me to an ATM on Nangloi Road. Two men stayed in the vehicle while one accompanied me to the ATM, where I withdrew Rs 25,000 and handed it over,” the businessman said.
The victim was then taken in another vehicle and driven around until his friend transferred more funds to his account. The accused then took his phone and transferred Rs 1,24,000 via UPI to their own account. Then they dropped him on the roadside and warned him not to report the incident.
Police said they are part of a gang involved in similar extortion cases and search is on for other suspects.
Abhay is a Special Correspondent with The Times of India, Delhi. ...
Read MoreAbhay is a Special Correspondent with The Times of India, Delhi. He covers crime and prisons.
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