14 August,2016 03:23 PM IST | | Samiullah Khan
Police suspect that an extortion racket is operating through dating websites
A resident of Malad could not have guessed what lay on the other side of his new virtual friendship.
On July 29, the 30-year-old victim became friends with Sahil, alias Jack, on Planet Romeo. Police sources say the two exchanged phone numbers and began chatting regularly. As they had become good friends, the victim asked Jack to meet him at his residence on August 2.
While Jack kept the date, minutes into their meeting, the doorbell rang. An unknown person, claiming to be a police official from the Chembur police station, forced his way into the house. He said they were violating laws with their homosexual acts, and forced them into an autorickshaw claiming that he was taking them to the police station.
When the autorickshaw was on its way through the Powai end of Aarey Colony, it became clear that Jack and the other man, who had posed as a cop, were working hand in glove.
They demanded Rs 50,000 from the victim. When the victim responded that he didn't have much money to part with, the kidnappers stopped at an ATM near Powai's L&T Company, where they forced him to withdraw R25,000. Once the accused had the cash in hand, they fled in the same auto.
The victim has registered a complaint at the Kurar police station. Inspector LT Vhanmane said, "We are investigating the case. It seems like a racket of harassers who cheat people by making friends through various social networking sites."
