Mumbai: Kharghar woman loses Rs 12 lakh to Instagram ‘friend’

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Sharing her intimate photographs with an unknown social media female friend has cost a 25-year-old woman from Kharghar dearly. The woman had to pay Rs 12.58 lakh to two persons who were blackmailing her that they would put up her pictures on social media. The victim had befriended the woman in February, 2021. Cops have arrested one accused, while search for other two, including the woman, is on.

The housewife had befriended a woman named Meenaxi from Himachal Pradesh on Instagram. Both used to regularly chat with each other and shared their domestic troubles with each other as well.

After a few months, Meenaxi sent her pictures across, and the Kharghar resident did the same. In February 2022, the 25-year-old received the shock of her life when an Instagram handle, of a man called Sachin, shared some of her pictures which she had sent to Meenaxi. "Sachin threatened her that if she didn't pay him Rs 2 lakh, he would make the pictures public," said an official from Kharghar Police Statio n.

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The woman got scared and agreed to give the money. Meanwhile, messages from Meenaxi stopped. After a month, another Twitter handle, with the name Naveen, contacted the victim and demanded Rs 1 lakh."

"The demands never stopped, and the lady coughed up Rs 10.58 lakh more. The woman has sold her all jewellery to raise the amount and was on the verge of a break down due to consistent demands from Naveen," said the police official.

Finally, in the month of August 2022, the Kharghar woman revealed the incident to her family and a decision was taken to register a complaint against all the three persons. "The complainant lodged an FIR against three persons under IPC section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and relevant section of IT Act 2000," said Sandipan Shinde, Senior Inspector Kharghar police station.

After lodging the FIR, DCP (Zone 2) Shivraj Patil ordered Kharghar cops to work swiftly. A team was dispatched to Himachal Pradesh and Naveen Kashyap (27) was arrested. "We have arrested one accused, while other two, including ‘Meenaxi' are missing. We are working on their whereabouts and would arrest them soon," DCP Shivraj Patil said.