₹ 2.69 crore extorted from Gujarat businessman with nude video call threat

The victim, who runs a renewable energy firm, got a call on August 8 last year from a woman who identified herself as Ria Sharma from Morbi, the police said.

A Gujarat businessman allegedly lost ₹2.69 crore in a 'sextortion' trap, a police official said on Thursday. The victim, who runs a renewable energy firm, got a call on August 8 last year from a woman who identified herself as Ria Sharma from Morbi, he said.

Representational image.

"She later convinced him to take off his clothes during a video call. She then cut the call abruptly and the victim was asked to pay ₹50,000 so that his nude video clip is not circulated," the official said. "Some days later, the victim got a call from a man who claimed he was inspector Guddu Sharma of Delhi police.

He extorted ₹3 lakh claiming the video clip was in his possession," he added. On August 14, another man who introduced himself as a Delhi police cyber cell personnel sought ₹80.97 lakh claiming the woman had attempted suicide, the official said.

"He paid the money. Then the victim got calls from a fake CBI official who demanded ₹8.5 lakh to settle the case after claiming the woman's mother had approached the central probe agency. He continued paying money till December 15 till a fake Delhi High Court order stating the case had been closed made him suspicious," the official said.

He than approached the Cyber Crime Branch police station on January 10 and lodged a complaint against 11 persons claiming they had extorted ₹2.69 crore, the official added. The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code section 387 (extortion), 170 (impersonation as public servant), 465 (forgery) 420 (cheating) and 120-b (criminal conspiracy), among other offences, the official informed. No one has been arrested in the case so far and a probe was underway, he added.