Mumbai: In a shocking incident that has raised serious concerns about online safety and cyber exploitation, a young man from Shankarwadi in Jogeshwari East was allegedly lured into a fake LGBTQ+ Telegram group, where he was sexually assaulted, blackmailed, and robbed by four individuals.
According to officials from the Jogeshwari Police Station, the victim, a resident in his early twenties, first came into contact with one of the accused through Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app. The accused reportedly gained the youth’s trust by posing as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and engaging in friendly, personal conversations.
As interactions within the group intensified, the victim was invited to a private meeting in a room in the Shankarwadi area. Believing the encounter to be genuine and consensual, he agreed to meet. However, upon arrival, the situation took a violent turn.
The victim was allegedly confronted by four young men all part of the same group, who started beating him and sexually assaulted him. During the sexual assault, the accused recorded the video. They then used the video as leverage, threatening to make it viral and post it on social media if the victim did not comply with their demands.
Under the pressure, the youth was forced to hand over his ATM card and share his PIN. The accused subsequently withdrew a total of Rs 41,000 from his bank account. The victim managed to file a complaint at the Jogeshwari Police Station shortly after the incident.
A case was registered under several serious sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 309(6), Section 127(2), Section 115, Section 351(3), Section 352, and Section 3(5), according to the Pune Pulse report.
After the investigation was initiated, the police reviewed CCTV footage from the ATM. With the assistance of informants, all four suspects were successfully identified and arrested in flats located in Jogeshwari and Bandra.
