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Murder unravels online ‘adult chat’ racket in Lucknow
Hotel receptionist shot dead: Key accused operated adult chatting websites and sex racket, say police.
Startling revelations about an ‘online adult chat’ racket and fraudsters’ gang operational in Lucknow and other parts of UP came to fore on Sunday during a probe into the murder of a hotel receptionist at Sara Grand Hotel in Vibhuti Khand on Saturday.
Five people, including two girls and three youths – Dheeraj Narang, Abhay Singh and Hari Om – were arrested in the murder on Saturday.
The five accused were members of several online friendship clubs and thousands of people from different states were linked with them, said Abhay Mishra, circle officer (CO), Hazratganj.
He said the key accused Abhay Singh, who reportedly killed the receptionist, was the gang leader and also operated online adult chatting websites and sex racket.
Another police official associated with the probe said all the accused were connected with each other through social media groups and shared pictures of girls available for flesh trade and offered prospective clients their services.
The accused provide flesh trade services to different people after getting payments through e-wallets. They also provided adult chatting services through different girls in return of hefty payments, he added.
He said the key accused also revealed that he had duped many people on the pretext of providing flesh trade services.
“The accused said he often demanded hefty amount as advance payment for providing services of high profile girls and then blocked the clients’ phone numbers after getting the money,” added the official.
The official said the victims never lodged a police complaint about the fraud to avert social embarrassment. The Lucknow cyber cell received a few similar complaints in the past, but people refused to lodge formal FIR in the matter, he added.
The receptionist, Krishna Pratap Singh, 20, was allegedly shot dead by two assailants, Abhay Singh and Hari Om, at the hotel around 1.52 am on Saturday after being instigated by three others including two girls. The three accused were booked for charges of criminal conspiracy.
Police said the assailants had come to meet a Delhi girl staying in room number 217 of Sara Grand Hotel and opened fire when the receptionist refused to allow them to meet her.
PAYMENTS THROUGH E-WALLETS
The accused were connected with each other through social media groups and shared pictures of girls available for flesh trade and offered prospective clients their services, said cops.
The accused provide flesh trade services to different people after getting payments through e-wallets.
The key accused revealed that he duped many people of the pretext of providing flesh trade services. But the victims never lodged a police complaint to avert social embarrassment.
