3 held in Noida for clicking photos of couples, extorting money

Due to fear and the small amount of extortion, ranging between ₹1,000 to 2,000, no one had filed any FIR, but repeated complaints over the last two months compelled the police to form a team

Three men were arrested on Sunday for allegedly clicking photos of couples found sitting in a Noida park and extorting money from them, police said, adding that they were nabbed on Saturday as they fled while snatching the phone of a delivery executive who noted down their vehicle’s registration number.

On Saturday, when they (suspects) snatched a mobile phone from a delivery executive near Noida Sector 62, they were tracked with the help of the vehicle’s registration number and apprehended. When their details matched that of the men extorting money from couples, they were interrogated and later confessed their crime. (Representational image)

Police identified the suspects as Ritesh Kumar, 21, Gajendra Solanki, 35, and Pawan Kumar, 30, all residents of Khoda, Ghaziabad.

“We were receiving complaints for the past some time that some people used to click photos of couples sitting in Noida parks—mainly near corporate companies in Sector 62—to extort money by threatening to circulate the photos or send it to their family members,” said Amit Tomar, station house officer (Sector 58).

“The suspects introduced themselves as ‘staff’ and targeted couples only in parks,” the officer added.

Due to fear and the small amount of extortion, ranging between ₹1,000 to 2,000, no one had filed any FIR, but repeated complaints over the last two months compelled the police to form a team. A woman police officer, along with a male officer, was also sent to Noida parks in plain clothes to nab them.

“On Saturday, when they (suspects) snatched a mobile phone from a delivery executive near Noida Sector 62, they were tracked with the help of the vehicle’s registration number and apprehended,” the SHO said.

When their appearance details matched that of the men extorting money from couples, they were interrogated and later confessed their crime, the SHO added.

Police said it was found they had been extorting money from couples for the past three to four months. In their free time, they used to snatch phones from people in isolated places. “Twelve mobile phones, an SUV, an illegal firearm, and two knives were recovered from their possession,” said police, adding that a case of snatching and stolen property under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against them at Sector 58 police station, and further investigation is on.