Four women and three men were booked by Sambhal Police on Sunday for allegedly extorting money out of wealthy men after indulging them into pornography. The racket was busted after a local jeweller, one of the victims, filed a police complaint against the gang, leading to the arrest of all seven, reported Times Now.
The victim alleged that he was tempted by one of the women to pay her a visit at her house where three other members of the gang were already present. He was then forced to take off his clothes by the accused and was filmed naked with the woman. He was later threatened to pay a hefty sum of Rs 10 lakh by the means of the recorded video.
Pankaj Pandey, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) told TOI that the victim had to ask for the money from his elder brother, with whom he shared the narrative of being blackmailed. The brother, in turn, informed the police which led to the subsequent arrest of the accused.
Identified as Saima Ahmed, her brother Faizan Ahmed, Mina Devi, Anjali Rastogi, Sunita Singh, Fazil Hamid and Vishal Chauhan, two knives, one pistol with two live cartridges, two motorbikes and mobile phones were confiscated from their possession by the police.
The ASP further said that the accused are being interrogated about other victims from whom they may have been extorting money. He added that their modus operandi suggests that they are a gang of professional criminals. A similar gang operating in Aligarh was earlier arrested.
An FIR was registered against the seven under Indian Penal Code's Sections 506 for criminal intimidation, 411 for dishonestly receiving property that has been stolen, 392 for robbery, 386, 385 and 384 for extortion by putting the victim in fear of death or grievous hurt/ injury.