Bengaluru techie's Bumble date turns into ₹2 lakh extortion after fake drug raid: Report
According to a report by NDTV, the man had matched with a woman named Sangeetha on Bumble and spent several weeks exchanging casual texts and video calls. After a month of online interaction, the two decided to meet at a coffee shop in the city. What followed initially felt like a natural progression, Sangeetha suggested they get a room to relax and have a few drinks.
(Also Read: Karnataka government reinstates B Dayananda, three others in Chinnaswamy stampede case)
However, the situation took a dark turn.
As the two were sitting and chatting, four men suddenly barged into the room, accusing the techie of being part of a drug party. Claiming they would call the police, they demanded to search the room. During the confrontation, they pulled out packets of white powder from Sangeetha's bag, alleging it was narcotics.
In a dramatic twist, Sangeetha began crying and locked herself in another room, threatening to end her life, claiming she couldn't face the consequences. Fearing arrest and public humiliation, the techie pleaded with the group. They initially demanded ₹15 lakh as a settlement, but after negotiations, he ended up paying ₹2 lakh to be let go.
Three days later, the man approached the police, leading to a deeper investigation that uncovered an elaborate date-extortion scam, the report further added.
Authorities confirmed that the entire encounter, from the dating app match to the staged panic, was pre-planned. The white powder used to frame the victim turned out to be baking soda, not drugs. Sangeetha was part of the gang, and the meeting was a trap to extort money.
As per the publication, police arrested six people in connection with the case: Sharanabasappa, Raju Mane, Shyam Sundar, Abhishek, Birbal, and Sangeetha.
(Also Read: Dharmasthala mass burial: SIT visits site where whistleblower claims bodies were buried)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
New SIT under IPS officer Kumawat to probe Mahadev Munde murder case
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A new special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to investigate the murder of Beed resident Mahadev Munde, with IPS officer Pankaj Kumawat appointed as its head. This information was disclosed by Munde's widow, Dnyaneshwari, following her meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday in Mumbai. Confirming the development, BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, who attended the family's meeting with the CM, said inspector Santosh Sable and an assistant inspector would also join the newly formed SIT. All three officers have previously served in Beed, with Kumawat recognised for his bold actions during his tenure there. Both Sable and the assistant inspector were also stationed in Parli around the time of the murder. The formation of the SIT comes 21 months after the murder, which took place on Oct 21, 2023, in Beed's Parli. Dnyaneshwari said no arrests have been made to date, raising concerns about the investigation's progress and integrity. She said that her meeting with the Chief Minister was arranged after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange intervened and urged Fadnavis to address the family's grievances. "I told the CM everything that happened over the past 21 months. He became emotional and assured us that no one involved in this crime will be spared," Dnyaneshwari told reporters in Mumbai. Dnyaneshwari further alleged that the Parli police were pressured to halt the investigation following a call from a senior politician's official residence. "We have requested a call detail record (CDR) analysis to uncover everyone linked to this pressure. We have submitted the names of those involved to the CM," she added. Fadnavis reportedly called Beed superintendent of police Navneet Kanwat during the meeting and sought swift action. He also assured that all accused, regardless of their political influence, would be arrested. "It has been nearly two years since my husband was murdered, and the accused have been roaming free. We now hope justice will be delivered," Dnyaneshwari said.
NDTV
32 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Great Relief": Uma Bharati Applauds Malegaon Blast Verdict
New Delhi: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Uma Bharati said the verdict in the Malegaon case was a "great relief" to her. All seven accused in the 17-year-old case were acquitted today by a special court. The judge said the prosecution failed to prove the allegations in the case and that all seven accused deserve the benefit of doubt. "My reverence to the people because they were the ones to face any torture or physical pain but they were not ready to give the names," Uma Bharati told NDTV in an exclusive interview. "They were forced to name the people of some right wing organisation, some BJP leaders. It is because of the torture they faced and ultimately they tolerated it... The whole country, the whole Hindu community, the whole organisation now honours them. We worship them," she added. During the years-long trial, the prosecution had examined 323 witnesses, of whom nearly 40 turned hostile. Pointing to the discrepancies in the evidence, the court said terrorism has no religion, but it cannot convict on mere perception. Uma Bharati slammed those who suspected the right wing of involvement in the blasts. More Muslims stayed back in India than the number that went to Pakistan, because they trusted the Hindus. Now they were blaming the Hindus for the Malegaon blast. "They should be ashamed and they should apologise," she said. The blast occurred on the night of September 29 2008, near Bhikku Chowk in the communally tense town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, during the holy month of Ramzan. A powerful bomb tore through an area near a mosque, killing six people and injuring more than a hundred. Today, all seven accused in the case, including former BJP MP Pragya Thakur and former army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, were acquitted.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cambodia conmen using SIM boxes in India to trick cops, find Telangana police and DoPT after raid in Mancherial
Hyderabad: Cambodia-based cybercrime syndicates have adopted a new tactic to evade Indian authorities — using SIM boxes installed in India to make VoIP calls and carry out 'digital arrest' scams. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The racket surfaced after the Department of Telecom (DoPT), along with Telangana police, raided a building in Jannaram, Mancherial district, and arrested four men — Y Kamesh (from Manyam district, AP), B Bapaiah, B Madhukar (both from Jagtial), and G Rajeshwar (Kistapur village). The main accused, Jack alias P Sai Krishna, is absconding. Police said Bapaiah had worked at a hotel in Cambodia, where he befriended Jack and was later roped into the scam. Delhi police also visited Mancherial in connection with a separate cybercrime case registered in the national capital. 'The DoT-Hyderabad unit received a complaint via the Chakshu portal about impersonation calls from people posing as government officials threatening mobile disconnection,' said Mancherial DCP A Bhaskar. When DoPT authorities analysed the technical details, by tracing IMEI numbers and the SIM boxes, it led them to Jannaram. On reaching the spot, police found SIM boxes in a single room of the building. One SIM box had 230 SIMs. Cops tracked down the people who had taken the premises on rent and created the set-up. 'In just two hours, call activity totalled 50,000 seconds. This means that 40 to 50 people were simultaneously making calls to prospective cybercrime victims in India,'' said Alen Anurag, additional director general, DoPT. The SIM cards were fraudulently sourced from Vizianagaram in AP, he added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On interrogation, the four accused revealed they were working for Cambodia-based cybercrime rings. 'Jack had tasked Bapaiah with setting up SIM box infrastructure to enable VoIP calls from Cambodia. Kamesh, a victim of online betting, joined in to recoup his losses. They were promised salaries of Rs 30,000–70,000, along with a share in the fraud proceeds,' a police official said.
