Chandigarh: Sextortion gang faces 11 FIRs in other states

Amit Sharma

Chandigarh, September 1

Members of the sextortion gang arrested by the Operations Cell of the UT police for extorting money from men after recording their objectionable videos are found to have been involved in 197 similar incidents in different states.

The police said analysis of 10 seized mobile phones and 22 IMEI numbers had revealed their inter-state linkages with 197 such incidents, including 11 FIRs, registered in different states.

The gang members were found facing 40 complaints in Uttar Pradesh; 34 in Delhi, including seven FIRs; 29 in Maharashtra, including two FIRs; 19 in Rajasthan; 10 in Karnataka; nine in Telangana, including two FIRs; eight each in West Bengal and Haryana, besides 40 in other states.

“The detailed inter-state linkage reports are prepared on the basis of information provided by different states and UTs,” said a police official. A majority of the victims who fell prey to the gang hadn’t approached the police as they chose to pay and end the matter quietly, he added.

Police from states where cases had been registered would now take the suspects on production warrant for interrogation.

The gang used to identify their victim through social networking sites. A suspect, posing as woman, would invite the victim to a video chat and his objectionable clips were recorded.