Railway employee extorted of Rs 21 lakh; case registered

Indore: A railway employee in Sitamau area was blackmailed with compromised pictures and videos and extorted of over Rs 21 lakh by a woman.Following a complaint by the victim's wife, the police initiated an investigation into the matter. As per the complaint, the accused, identified as Pooja alias Siya Chauhan, a resident of Sadar Bazar, Sitamau, allegedly targeted the victim after learning of his employment with the Railways. In April 2025, she reportedly established contact with him through social media and phone calls and later develop a relationship. The ordeal escalated when the accused allegedly took the victim to a house in Ramtekri area of Mandsaur. There, she purportedly served him a cold drink laced with intoxicant. While he was unconscious, she shot objectionable photos and videos of him. Upon regaining consciousness, the victim was threatened that the footage would be made viral and a rape case would be filed against him if he did not pay her.Fearing social stigma and loss of job, the victim—who resides in railway quarters—began transferring large sums of money to the accused."Approximately Rs 21,13,000 was transferred into bank accounts on various dates, in addition to significant cash payments," the complaint reads, adding that to meet the demands, the victim was forced to take loans and exhaust most of his monthly salary.When the victim finally refused to pay more, the accused reportedly reached his house, created a public scene, and issued death threats.Sitamau police have registered a case against Pooja Chauhan under various sections of BNS. "Teams have been formed to arrest the accused," Sitamau police station in-charge Kamlesh Prajapati said.