How the police trapped gang extorting execs through gay dating app
A Gurugram constable posing as the chief executive officer (CEO) of a company helped catch four gang members red-handed in November after the police received a
A Gurugram constable posing as the chief executive officer (CEO) of a company helped catch four gang members red-handed in November after the police received a complaint from the CEO of a Gururgam-based company that he had been duped by the gang after he befriended them on an online dating app for gay, bisexual and transgender people.
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The operation was carried out by four teams consisting of 10 police personnel on Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) towards Kherki Daula late in the night as the stretch is not lit well and is hardly used by people at night except truckers, the police said.
So far, only one victim has formally lodged a complaint that a gang member befriended him on Grindr and then blackmailed him. There are at least 150 victims, the gang members who were caught told the police. At least 80 of them have been identified, the police said
Gurugram police commissioner Muhammad Akil said the first incident was reported in the first week of November and it was the first of its kind in the city.
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“We formed four teams and with the help of the victim, we traced their {gang members’} mobile numbers. Two of the crime team members were assigned a task to befriend them on dating sites and invite them to the city. After a week of struggle, the suspects fell prey to the trap and visited Sector 29 parking,” he said.
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“We formed four teams and with the help of the victim, we traced their {gang members’} mobile numbers. Two of the crime team members were assigned a task to befriend them on dating sites and invite them to the city. After a week of struggle, the suspects fell prey to the trap and visited Sector 29 parking,” he said.
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One of the constables, posing as a well-dressed executive wearing a pair of denims and a leather jacket with high-ankle boots reached the spot in a luxury car. “Within minutes one of the suspects knocked the car window and was seated on the front seat. The constable offered to go for a long drive and asked the suspect if he knew some isolated stretch in the city. As suspected, he guided him towards SPR,” said Akil.
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After driving for more than half an hour, the suspect allegedly asked him to park the car in an isolated stretch near Sector 72 and started opening his shirt.
“The constable was keeping a close watch on his activities and had noticed him giving missed call to his aides. Two cars of suspects were following them and three cars of police personnel in private cars were behind them. The suspects could not make out that they were trapped and as soon as they intercepted the car of the constable, the police teams surrounded them and caught them red-handed,” said Akil.
Akil said the police recovered data of the victims from the gang members’ laptops and hard disks but the victims refused to lodge complaints, fearing social stigma. The records recovered from the suspects show that more than 300 senior executives had been in touch with them and had shared their details with the suspects without even meeting them.
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“We have requested the victims to at least record their statement but they have refused. Out of 150 victims, only five have approached police so far but haven’t lodged any complaint. We have even promised to keep their identities secret but they are not ready to utter a word fearing the gang might tarnish their image on social media by exposing their pictures,” he said.
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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