A man from the city was trapped in a sextortion scam set up by cyber criminals, only to find out that his friend was behind it. The case, handled by the Ajni police station, came to light during the investigation.
According to the police, the victim had registered on a matrimonial website while searching for a potential bride. In March 2022, he received a call from a woman named ‘Sanam,’ who showed interest in marriage and gradually gained his trust.
Without his knowledge, the call was recorded, and later the video was sent to him on WhatsApp with a demand for money. Alarmed, he went to the Cyber police station and, following their advice, blocked the WhatsApp number.
Worried, the victim shared the issue with his friend, Aniruddha Motiram Dahake (39) from Imamwada. Aniruddha suggested that the victim’s phone might have been hacked and kept the phone with him for three hours. After this, the victim uninstalled WhatsApp from his device.
However, Aniruddha activated WhatsApp on his own phone, where the extortion demand of ₹25 lakh was made. He told the victim that if the amount wasn’t paid, the video would be sent to all his relatives.
Growing suspicious of his friend’s involvement, the victim told Aniruddha that he had already filed a police complaint. This made Aniruddha anxious, and he threatened the victim with defamation. Later that night, he called the victim to meet him at Tukdoji Chowk, where he pressured him to withdraw the complaint. Aniruddha threatened to send the video to the victim’s relatives and harm him if he refused. He also warned that he would commit suicide and falsely implicate the victim and his friends.
Two days later, the victim filed a complaint at the Ajni police station against the owner of the phone number used to send the threats. During the investigation, it was discovered that the number belonged to a woman who claimed she had lost her SIM card. Further inquiries revealed that the woman was connected to Aniruddha.
The police then registered a case against Aniruddha Dahake under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and the BNS, including Sections 296, 308(2), and 351(1). The investigation is currently ongoing.