3 men held in Kolkata for extortion through dating app for LGBTQ+ community
The FIR, filed at Ballygunge police station under Sections 308(2) (extortion) and 3(5) (common intention in criminal acts) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alleges that the complainant met a man who identified himself as 'Ashish' through the app. The two allegedly then met in front of K B Motors on Gurusaday Road.
The victim was then allegedly taken to an abandoned hutment near Ballygunge Circular Road, where 'Ashish' and two others allegedly threatened to ruin the complainant's reputation. Under pressure, the victim allegedly transferred Rs 96,888 across multiple bank accounts as demanded.
The complainant alleged that the accused had initially suggested meeting near Ballygunge railway station.
Following the complaint, the police launched a search operation and, acting on specific intelligence, arrested one of the accused—Bijay Stephen Singh (31)—around 1:15 am.
According to officers, further investigation is underway to trace the money trail and identify if the accused were involved in similar offences previously. Authorities are also examining whether the app was systematically misused to target individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.
Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics.
With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences.
Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
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