The police here arrested two women and busted a gang involving at least 18 more who allegedly targeted young men and threatened them with false rape allegations if they did not pay up lakhs of rupees, officials said.
The police here arrested two women and busted a gang involving at least 18 more who allegedly targeted young men and threatened them with false rape allegations if they did not pay up lakhs of rupees, officials said.
Image for representation (AFP/Getty Images)
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The racket involved running an escort service that acted as a conduit to put the women in touch with their targets, most of whom were young professionals working in the National Capital Region (NCR) centred on Delhi.
“In the latest case, a woman lodged a gangrape case against three software developers on May 20 at DLF Phase 3 police station alleging they had raped her when she visited one of her friends. During preliminary investigation, we found that one of the men was not even in the city,” said Muhammad Akil, commissioner of police.
The woman and another female accomplice were arrested while accepting an instalment of ₹50,000 at DLF Phase 3 on Thursday, following which they were questioned. “They confessed and we have recovered a list of victims,” said Akil.
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The information provided during the questioning suggested that at least 50 men may have been targeted and the amount of money extorted could run into several crores, though no estimate was made available, he added.
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The information provided during the questioning suggested that at least 50 men may have been targeted and the amount of money extorted could run into several crores, though no estimate was made available, he added.
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The victim in the recent case claimed he befriended the woman after signing up on an escort service last month. “On May 18, she spent the night in my room where roommates were also present and refused to leave next morning. She threatened to lodge a false rape case and asked me to get married to her. When I refused, she demanded ₹5 lakh,” he said, asking not to be identified.
On May 20, he received a call from Delhi Police informing him that he and his friends had been booked for rape, the police commissioner said, adding that they also reached out to the local police.
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“We took out their call detail records and checked their messages and calls. We found out that the woman was lying and was trying to extort money from them. It was a racket operating out of Delhi and the gang members had in the past targeted many other working professionals,” said Karan Goyal, assistant commissioner of police (DLF).
The men would also be videographed during intimate moments and threatened that the videos would be leaked online, the officer added. The police asked the victim to make calls to the woman and ensure all conversations are recorded, which gave more indications of the nature of the case.
The women, the official added, lived in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar. Police have now reached out to their counterparts in NCR cities and are looking for the leader of the gang.
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.
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