Sextortion gang impersonating as cops busted, one held
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 May, 2022 03:38 PM
New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) A Mewat-based gang, impersonating as Crime Branch sleuths and legal officials of YouTube, has been busted by Delhi Police for extorting money from gullible people by honey-trapping them.
The police have arrested one person in connection with the case, who has been identified as Asib Khan (26), a resident of Bharatpur district in Rajasthan, the police said.
Furnishing details, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north), Sagar Singh Kalsi, said some complaints were received on the MHA's Cyber Crime Portal regarding extortion by fake Crime Branch and YouTube officials on the pretext of lodging police complaints over obscene videos of victims and uploading of the same on YouTube.
Accordingly, the police registered an FIR under Section 384 (Punishment for extortion) of the Indian Penal Code at the cyber police station in the north district.
After lodging a case, a police team was constituted which conducted money trails and mounted technical surveillance/analysis of the mobile phone numbers linked to various mobile wallets.
The investigation revealed that the accused were operating from Mudiya village in Bharatpur district.
Subsequently, the police conducted a raid and detained Asib Khan.
"His mobile phone was checked. It was revealed that he was operating a fake bank account using internet banking," the DCP said.
Further analysis of bank statements disclosed that Rs 26 lakh were credited and then instantly debited from this account within one month.
Thereafter, it was found that one person, a resident of Sarai Rohilla, Delhi, was being extorted. The police then registered another case of extortion and arrested the accused Asib Khan.
During interrogation, it was revealed that several youth from Asib Khan's village would create fake Facebook profiles of girls and contact victims on WhatsApp after exchanging mobile numbers via Facebook Messenger.
The victims would receive WhatsApp video calls in which a pre-recorded video of a lady doing an obscene act would be played and this video would appear on the mobile screen of the victims. The accused caller then screen-recorded the video of the victim indulging in obscene acts.
They used to then blackmail the victims posing as officials from the Crime Branch and YouTube's legal team.
Police officials said that the gang of six members, including two women, began its activities just before the first lockdown in 2020. The main member, the kingpin of the racket, identified as Neeraj of Haryana's Bahadurgarh, was apprehended by the police near PVR Cinema, Sector-14, Prashant Vihar, Rohini.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi on Monday blamed his predecessor Amarinder Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal and the BJP for clandestinely harming the state's interests, with their sole focus on the forthcoming Assembly polls.
The Delhi Police on Monday told a court that no cognisable offence was committed under its jurisdiction, while replying to a plea seeking lodging of an FIR against Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his alleged remarks against the protesting farmers in a video. The Delhi Police's submission came after the court sought an action taken report (ATR) in the matter.
Acceding to the major demand of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Channi said the foundation stone of a convention centre for PITEX spread over 10 acres would be laid within a week to enable the organisation to carry out diverse range of activities to promote trade and industry in the region in a big way.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that Punjab had reported four deaths due to shortage of Oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
Welcoming the leaders in the party, Shekhawat said that the BJP will be strengthened in Punjab. "They have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they will strengthen the organisation in the state. BJP is moving ahead in Punjab and will create a new history," he said, noting all the new joinees are prominent names in their respective fields.
