Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a 34-year-old woman from Mazgaon was allegedly blackmailed with an obscene video after being targeted through a fake marriage proposal on a matrimonial website. The Byculla Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and the Information Technology Act, suspecting the involvement of a cyber fraud gang.
The woman, who had registered her profile on a bride-groom platform, received a call on August 9 from an individual claiming to be interested in marriage. Gaining her trust over multiple conversations, the man later made a video call and asked her to undress. When she initially refused, he convinced her by falsely promising marriage. The woman complied, after which the accused recorded the video, as reported by Loksatta.
Soon after, the man began threatening her with the footage and demanded money, warning that the video would be made viral on social media if she didn’t pay. Under pressure, the woman transferred Rs 30,000, but the demands continued. He also posed as a customs official, claiming he was sending her a gift and tricked her into paying further charges.
Realising she was being duped, the woman finally approached the Byculla Police, who registered an FIR under Sections 308(2) and 351(2) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 67(a)(b) of the Information Technology Act.
In another news story of crime, a 16-year-old student was brutally stabbed in a daylight attack in Mankhurd over an alleged affair, leading to a case being registered. On August 18, Shailesh Avinash Zade, a 10th-grade student, was attacked while returning home from school with his classmates in the PMGP Colony area of Mankhurd.
The assailant, Sarfraz Jahangir Sheikh, also known as ‘Chand,’ reportedly stabbed Shailesh due to suspicions regarding a romantic relationship between the victim and Chand’s sister. The incident, which stemmed from an earlier dispute, has prompted the Mankhurd police to register a case of attempted murder.
Shailesh, who resides in Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Nagar, and the accused both live in the same neighbourhood. The accused’s sister was reportedly close friends with Shailesh, which is believed to have triggered the violent attack.
