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Man held for blackmailing 85 women using their morphed pictures

Nitish Aggarwal, deputy commissioner of police (NIT), said Singh created multiple social media accounts from where he copied images and later morphed them to blackmail women

Published on: Sep 13, 2022, 14:18:27 IST
By , Gurugram
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Faridabad police arrested a 42-year-old truck driver from Aligarh on Monday for allegedly blackmailing at least 85 women. The suspect, identified as Ganesh Singh of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh told police that he found a SIM card at a dhaba in Rajasthan and used it to commit the crimes. Cops recovered his mobile phone and found 485 obscene videos which were used to blackmail women, some of which were downloaded from the internet.

Police have recovered the cellphone of the suspect (C) and found 485 obscene videos that he used to blackmail women. (SOURCED)
Police have recovered the cellphone of the suspect (C) and found 485 obscene videos that he used to blackmail women. (SOURCED)

Nitish Aggarwal, deputy commissioner of police (NIT), said Singh created multiple social media accounts from where he copied images and later morphed them to blackmail women. “He is a serial offender who often targeted women. His interrogation has revealed that he abused and blackmailed at least 85 women so far,” he said. The officer said that Singh habitually created fake accounts on social media and used them to contact random women. He would then allegedly morph their images and blackmail them to elicit sexual favours.

According to Aggarwal, the incident came to light after police received a complaint from a victim who alleged she received a message on WhatsApp on May 6 this year, containing a morphed photograph. “The suspect asked her to not block his number, failing which he threatened to circulate the photograph on social media. She immediately informed her husband about the text. The husband found the suspect’s number switched off when he called him,” he said.

Police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act against Singh and launched a probe. Investigators tracked down the IP address from which the fake accounts were created which led them to Singh, the DCP informed.

Sube Singh, spokesperson, Faridabad police, said that police identified the suspect with the IP address and his location kept on changing. “Teams were formed and raids were conducted at Nagaur, Ajmer, Jaipur, Kishangarh, Rupangarh, Dausa, Alwar and Bharatpur but the suspect narrowly escaped each time,” he said.

Aggarwal said that Singh confessed to constantly searching for women on social media platforms. He copied their profile pictures and morphed them, later sending the doctored images to their WhatsApp numbers. The precise details of his past involvements in such cases are being investigated, Aggarwal said. His mobile phone has been sent for forensic examination.

  • Leena Dhankhar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Leena Dhankhar

    Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More