Man poses as woman, blackmails director for ₹35 lakh on chat, arrested

The arrested accused has been identified as Ahmed Samsul Haque, a resident of Powai.

The anti-extortion cell (AEC) of the city crime branch has arrested a 32-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly blackmailing and extorting ₹35 lakh from a director of a prominent firm. The arrested accused has been identified as Ahmed Samsul Haque, a resident of Powai.

The arrested accused claimed that he knew several models and pretty women. He told the complainant that he could introduce him to these women if he was interested, said a crime branch officer.

Haque met the complainant at a party in 2017 and they became friends.

Haque claimed that he knew several models and pretty women. He told the complainant that he could introduce him to these women if he was interested, said a crime branch officer.

Haque was unemployed and wanted money so he gave his own mobile number to the complainant, and chatted with him, claiming to be a model. He also used a woman’s photo as his display picture.

Haque (posing as the model) engaged in obscene chats with the victim. He shared nude images of a woman and induced the complainant to share his own nude photos. After chatting for a few months, when the accused had collected enough material, he started blackmailing the complainant.

“Haque threatened to send the obscene chats and nude pictures to the complainant’s wife and other family members if he did not pay him ₹35 lakh,” said police inspector Raju Surve of the AEC.

The complainant got scared but approached the crime branch and registered a case against the accused.

“As per the police’s plan, the complainant continued chatting with the accused and agreed to give him a first instalment of ₹5 lakh on Tuesday. The meeting place was fixed in Bandra and as soon as Haque came to collect money, AEC officers arrested him,” said Surve.

During the investigation, police found the mobile phone which Haque was using for the chat and he was arrested on charges of extortion and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Haque was produced in court on Wednesday and remanded in police custody till April 30.