Kolkata: Kolkata's Jadavpur police have arrested Pratik Pal (37) for allegedly blackmailing and assaulting two aspiring models while impersonating a member of fashion photographer Tathagata Ghosh's team. His accomplice, Tapan Pal, is still at large, and authorities believe there may be more victims.
The case emerged after Ghosh filed a complaint in January about fake social media profiles using his name. Two women, aged 22 and 25, said they were lured by these profiles with promises of photoshoots and film roles, according to a report by The Times of India. They were then invited to a Madhyamgram studio, where the accused posed as Ghosh’s team members.
According to the report, the first incident is reported to have occurred between May and June of last year, while the second incident took place in October. In both cases, the victims were lured by fake social media profiles promising photoshoots and film roles. One of the victims, upon realizing she had been deceived, took immediate action and contacted Ghosh directly. This led to Ghosh filing a formal police complaint, which set the investigation in motion.
Pratik Pal, the primary accused, was arrested late on Friday night by the police. He is currently in police custody, with his detention set to last until February 15. According to Ghosh's lawyer, Smitesh Chatterjee, Pal used fraudulent WhatsApp profile pictures to lure aspiring models into his trap. This method of deception was central to the scam, as it gave the impression that the victims were dealing with a legitimate team associated with the renowned photographer.
Meanwhile, the police have launched an extensive search to apprehend Pal's accomplice, Aniket Basu. Authorities are conducting raids at multiple locations in an attempt to track him down. The investigation is ongoing, and police officials believe there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward.
