Ghaziabad: Gang which trapped men for extortion through online app arrested in Indirapuram

The ACP said that this gang had been operating for approximately six months and was suspected of targeting ‘numerous people’ using a similar modus operandi

Police arrested two women and their male accomplice for allegedly extorting ₹50,000 from a Delhi resident by luring him through an online dating app, police officers aware of the matter said.

The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Dipanshi Kumari, 36-year-old Shaheen Parveen, and 25-year-old Ankit Kumar, were arrested at Dipanshi’s residence in Vasundhara. (Representative Image)

The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Dipanshi Kumari, 36-year-old Shaheen Parveen, and 25-year-old Ankit Kumar, were arrested at Dipanshi’s residence in Vasundhara.

Police said that the victim, a man from Delhi, lodged a complaint with the Indirapuram police station on Friday. In his statement, he alleged that he was approached by Dipanshi on a dating app. They also added that the identity of the man is withheld for security reasons.

Swatantra Kumar Singh, ACP of Indirapuram, said, “Shaheen Parveen is the gang leader who operated a group that targeted individuals through online apps. Dipanshi, one of her accomplices, would engage and entice men, initiating intimate conversations with them on these apps. The victim from Delhi was also lured by her, and when he visited her flat on Thursday, other members, including Robin, Ankit, and Parveen, also joined at Dipanshi’s flat.”

The victim was later confined within the flat and subjected to physical assault by the two men in the presence of the two women suspects, police said.

“Subsequently the gang forced him to remove his clothing. Under duress, he complied, and they proceeded to photograph and videotape him. They then issued threats to make these explicit images and videos public if he failed to pay ₹5 lakh. With only about ₹50,000 to his name, the man made an online payment to the gang. Following this, he was permitted to leave. However, he later approached the police, leading to the registration of an FIR,” the ACP added.

The ACP said that this gang had been operating for approximately six months and was suspected of targeting “numerous people” using a similar modus operandi.

“We will investigate the profiles of the gang members and reach out to potential additional victims as part of our ongoing investigation,” he said, adding that Robin, another accomplice, is currently on the run.

The suspects were booked on charges of extortion and causing harm voluntarily, police said.