Mulund Police Arrest Punjab Man For Allegedly Extorting Woman After Snapchat Friendship And Obscene Video Threat

Mumbai: The Mulund police have arrested a 22-year-old man from Punjab for allegedly extorting money from a 23-year-old woman after befriending her on Snapchat and recording an objectionable video during a video call.

The accused has been identified as Satnam Mandeep Singh, a resident of Punjab. Following a detailed technical investigation, police arrested him from Kotkapura Road in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, said Abhay Singh Deshmukh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Eastern Region III.

Accused Traced To Punjab After Technical Investigation

According to the FIR, the victim, originally from Ratnagiri district, works as a caregiver and lives with her relatives on LBS Road in Mulund West. On July 14, she received a “Hi” message on Snapchat from an account named “Arush iwant.” She responded, following which the two began chatting and eventually developed a friendship.

Police said Singh subsequently became acquainted with the woman through video calls. On July 27, he allegedly told her that he needed money and obtained Rs4,000 from her. During a subsequent video call, he allegedly persuaded her to undress and secretly recorded the interaction.

Woman Received Snapchat Message From Unknown Account

On July 29, Singh allegedly demanded Rs40,000 from the woman and asked her to purchase an iPhone for him. When she refused, he allegedly threatened to circulate the recorded video if she did not comply with his demands. Fearing that the video would be made public, the woman transferred Rs40,000 to him. However, Singh allegedly did not provide the promised iPhone. She subsequently blocked his number.

The following day, the victim's mother called her and informed her that an obscene video involving her had been sent to her mobile phone. The woman then approached Mulund police and lodged a complaint.

Police registered a case under Sections 308(2) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66(E), 67 and 67(A) of the Information Technology Act.

Taking the seriousness of the case into consideration, an investigation was launched under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Santosh Ghatekar. Police conducted a technical investigation and traced the accused to Punjab. Singh was subsequently arrested from the Kotkapura Road area of Sri Muktsar Sahib, police said.

Police have appealed to citizens to exercise caution while accepting friend requests, messages and video calls from unknown social media accounts. They have also urged people not to panic or give in to demands if threatened with the circulation of obscene photographs or videos, and to immediately approach the nearest police station.

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