Gang held for blackmailing, extorting money from LGBTQ people in Noida

Police investigation revealed that the suspects were operating in NCR since the past six months and the gang has targeted eight LGBTQ people so far to extort money from them

A Meerut-based gang of four people was arrested on Thursday for allegedly targeting homosexual men in NCR and extorting money from them, police said, adding that the gang has been active in Noida and Greater Noida for the past six months.

The suspects in police custody. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The arrests came after a 24-year-old man, who had allegedly fallen into the gang’s trap, mustered the courage to file a complaint, said police.

“On Tuesday, the victim, who works at a private company in Noida, was called by one of the suspects to meet near Sector 66 in Noida. Later, he took the man to a rented accommodation in Sector 66, where three other suspects joined them and started blackmailing him,” said Shakti Mohan Avasthy, deputy commissioner of police, Central Noida, adding that the suspects threatened to out him as a homosexual.

“They also blackmailed him by claiming that they had a social media conversation between him and one of the suspects, who posed as a homosexual,” said an officer, asking not to be named.

They got the victim to transfer money using an UPI app. “They also snatched ₹4,000 cash he had with him and also ₹24,300 in two transactions via UPI. Later, they confiscated his identity cards, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, before fleeing the spot,” said Avasthy.

“On Wednesday, the victim approached us and with the help of electronic surveillance, we arrested the suspects identified as Shani Singh, 20, Karan Kumar, 22, Rajat, 22 and Tushar, 19, all from Meerut and residents of Sector 66 in Noida, on Thursday,” said Avasthy.

Police investigation revealed that the suspects were operating in NCR since the past six months and the gang has targeted eight homosexual men so far to extort money from them. Officials said fearing being publicly outed, no one approached police. Police are now reaching out to the other victims, who had fallen into their trap.

Explaining the modus operandi, the DCP said, “They were using dating applications that serve the LGBTQ community. They would chat with intended victims by creating fake IDs and arranging a meeting close to their residence and then blackmailing them.”

A case under sections 352 (intentional insult), 127 (wrongful confinement), and 308 (extortion) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Phase 3 police station, said police adding that ₹12,700 and identity cards of the victim were recovered from the possession of the arrested suspects. Further investigation is underway.