She Cried, They Threatened, He Paid Rs 2 Lakh: How Bengaluru Techie Trapped In Bumble Blackmail Plot

India.com

6 days ago

Bengaluru: What began as just another Bumble match turned into one of those nights the man will never forget, not for romance but for a twisted spiral that started with a latte and ended with a police complaint.
The Bengaluru tech professional, who had spent nearly a month chatting casually with a woman named Sangeetha over texts and video calls, finally decided to meet her in person. Their plan was to catch up over coffee and maybe share a drink later. The vibes were good, the conversation flowed and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Later that evening, Sangeetha suggested they unwind with a drink at a room she had arranged. He agreed.
But what happened next did not feel like a bad date. It felt scripted.
Within minutes of them settling in, four men barged into the room. Without explanation, they accused the man of being involved in a drug-fueled party. They claimed they were about to call the police. They searched the woman's bag and dramatically pulled out a few packets of white powder.
The techie froze. Sangeetha, the woman he had just shared coffee and laughter with, suddenly began sobbing uncontrollably. She rushed into another room and threatened to end her life, claiming she could not bear the shame.
The gang circled in. They demanded hush money. A mind-numbing Rs 15 lakh or the man would be dragged into a police case. Panicked and overwhelmed, he begged them to let him go. Hours of pleading followed. Finally, the sum was negotiated down. He handed them Rs 2 lakh and walked out shaken and heart pounding.
For three days, he remained silent. But then he went to the police.
That single complaint pulled the curtain back on what investigators now call a full-blown extortion racket. Sangeetha was not a random match. She was part of an organised gang that used dating apps to lure targets, stage emotional breakdowns, fake drug busts and squeeze victims for lakhs. The powder that looked like drugs? Just baking soda.
The police arrested six people who were identified as Sharanabasappa, Raju Mane, Shyam Sundar, Abhishek, Birbal and the woman, Sangeetha.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East Division) Sajeeth V J said, 'One of the accused has a prior case for a similar offence in Bengaluru. We are verifying the criminal background of the others. We have learnt that the woman hails from Uttar Pradesh and was working in a dance bar before this.'
'We are investigating further and trying to ascertain how many such victims there are. They have confessed to having done it before, too. We will contact victims and get more details,' he said.
Officials now believe this may not be an isolated case. The gang allegedly used dating apps as a hunting ground. Authorities are urging anyone who might have encountered similar situations to step forward.
For the techie, the ordeal is over. But the emotional scars and the chilling idea that a friendly match could turn into a trap are likely to stay for much longer.