19-year-old ‘sextortionist’ held in Rajasthan for targeting Mumbai doctor

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Crime branch officers have nabbed a 19-year-old from Rajasthan for extorting a doctor last year. The accused had made a video call to the doctor, edited it and demanded money, threatening to make the clip go viral. The authorities believe the arrest will help crack several other sextortion cases reported in the city.

On November 11, 2021, the 28-year-old doctor, who resides in Ghatkopar, received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number around 10.30 pm. When the medico answered, a nude woman appeared on the screen and disconnected the call immediately. After 15 minutes, he received a message from another number on WhatsApp along with a video in which his face was morphed on a nude man's body. The message instructed the doctor to transfer cash to a digital wallet number lest the clip be released on social media.

Petrified, the victim made a payment of Rs 20,200. He later spoke of the incident to his friends who advised him to register a police complaint. On November 14, an FIR was registered at the Pant Nagar police station against the unknown caller. Crime Branch Unit 7 had been conducting a parallel investigation into the matter. During technical analysis of the call and messages received by the victim, they traced the messages to Bharatpur, Rajasthan.

Also read: Sextortionists have upped their game. What can you do?

DCP (Detection 1) Sangramsingh Nishandar directed unit in-charge Mahesh Tawde to nab the culprit. A team led by inspector Niraj Ubale and comprising PSI Madhav Dhotre and constables Deepak Pawar and Rajendra Shinde was sent to Bharatpur. The team arrested Arbaaz Khan in Bharatpur and brought him to Mumbai on Saturday. He was produced in the holiday court on Sunday, which remanded him in police custody till September 22.

"The accused is unemployed. We are yet to obtain bank statements to determine the extent of his activities. The arrest will help crack other cases in the city as well as the state," a crime branch officer said. According to the police data, 47 sextortion cases have been registered in various city police stations this year while 54 such cases were registered in 2021.

On July 28, an 86-year-old Andheri resident received a video call from an unknown number. When he answered, the senior citizen was shocked to see a naked woman. The latter proceeded to record the call and blackmail the victim, who reportedly eventually transferred Rs 2.99 lakh into two bank accounts. However, he mustered the courage to file an FIR at the Amboli police station the next day. Another senior citizen from the same neighbourhood had been targeted in a similar manner between July 9 and 19. He ended up forking over Rs 64,000 via a digital transaction.

On August 31, a 61-year-old senior citizen approached the Khar police station, complaining about an extortion bid from an unknown number. The previous day, Shailesh Gandhi, the former central information commissioner, had approached the Santacruz police station to report an extortion attempt. The 75-year-old, however, did not give in. The same month, a 43-year-old doctor was extorted of R7.53 lakh after getting a video call from a woman who had sent him a friend request on Facebook.

Steps to stay safe online

>> Don't accept video calls from unknown numbers
>> Don't accept friend requests from unknown persons
>> Don't give in to scamsters' demands. Immediately inform the nearest police station
>> Protect your social media display pictures
>> Don't click on random links
>> Don't provide your information such as passwords and bank details