Match-faking: Gay dating app turns kidnap, extortion tool for gangs in Gurgaon

GURGAON: It’s a match. And then, it’s a mess. Police said on Wednesday they will issue a notice to Grindr, a dating app for gay and bisexual men and the LGBTQ+ community, after finding gangs operating through the app to kidnap and extort people.The latest was a late-night kidnapping and assault of a 22-year-old man who went to meet a match on Grindr in Manesar’s Kasan around 12.15am on Monday. He was kidnapped by four men who forced him to make a money transfer. Police said the four are habitual drug users and targeted the victim to fund their addiction.The men, who came in a white Swift car, intercepted the victim outside his house in Kasan, forced him into the vehicle, and drove him to an isolated area near Kasan hills. “They beat him up, threatened to kill him and demanded Rs 50,000. The assailants then took his phone, obtained the password, and transferred Rs 2,500 through a QR code before the victim managed to escape,” a police officer said.The person whom the victim befriended on the app initially began casual conversations and called him for a meetup, the officer said. Investigators said the case reflects a pattern seen in similar crimes linked to the app.Many victims kept mum out of fear. “The accused often threaten to expose the victims to their families to extort money. Because of the social stigma surrounding sexual orientation, many young people become easy targets. In many cases, the victims are youngsters living alone in the city,” the officer added.A case was registered at IMT Manesar police station.After the case was registered, a crime branch team tracked the suspects — Ashish (19), Naresh Kumar (21), Shivam (19) and Aashu (25) — within hours. They are from Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri. Three of them were arrested on May 5 from IMT Manesar, while the fourth was nabbed the next day from Bhangrola.Police said the youths used a rented car from Dadri to execute the crime. The transferred money was routed to Naresh’s bank account. Investigators said Naresh works as a Rapido rider in Gurgaon, while Aashu runs a grocery shop in a village near Manesar.The accused will be produced before a court and taken on remand for further interrogation. Police are also examining if the group was involved in other similar crimes.In a statement, police urged users of dating and social networking apps to verify identities and avoid meeting strangers in isolated places without informing friends or family.