Mumbai Man Arrested For Harassing, Blackmailing Woman Via Instagram

In a major breakthrough, Khed Police arrested a 28-year-old man from Mumbai's Powai area for allegedly stalking a woman, sending her obscene messages, and blackmailing her by making her private photos viral on social media.

The accused, identified as Krishnakant Subhash Vaid, a resident of Vaidya Chawl, Sakhi Vihar Road, Niti, Powai, was arrested at 12:56 am on May 29 following a detailed investigation.

The complainant, a young woman, had lodged a report at Khed Police Station stating that the accused had been harassing her via WhatsApp, phone calls, and Instagram between November 2024 and April 24, 2025. It was further revealed that Vaid had created a fake Instagram account to share her private photos and used them to blackmail her.

Based on the complaint, Khed Police registered a case under Sections 78, 352, 351(2), and 351(3) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 66(E) and 67 of the Information Technology Act, under case number 157/2025.

The investigation was carried out under the guidance of Ratnagiri District Superintendent of Police Nitin Dattatray Bagate, Additional Superintendent of Police Jayshree Gaikwad, and Khed Sub-Divisional Police Officer Bhagoji Auti. A special team led by Police Inspector Nitin Pandurang Bhoyar was formed to crack the case.

Using technical surveillance and intelligence gathering, the police traced the accused’s location and conducted a successful raid in Powai, leading to his arrest. During initial interrogation, Vaid confessed to the crime. Police also seized the mobile phone used in the cybercrime.