Three officers from Powai police took down a 37-year-old man from Himachal Pradesh involved in a ₹3 crore sextortion case. After tracking his movements between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and walking nearly 6 kilometers daily, they caught him four days into their pursuit.
The man, Prabhjyot Singh, was accused of blackmailing a 51-year-old homemaker from Powai. Encouraged by her husband, she lodged a complaint that led to Singh’s arrest on January 1.
To catch Singh, the police posed as buyers interested in iron products. Singh had allegedly blackmailed the homemaker, threatening to share explicit videos of her taken during video calls between July and December 2024. The officers sent Singh’s phone to a forensic lab to retrieve evidence of the blackmail.
Singh met the victim through Instagram, presenting himself as a business owner. Using photos with luxury cars, he gained her trust. After developing a rapport, he convinced her to undress on video calls and later used the footage to extort her. Fearing for her marriage, the victim sought her husband’s support and filed a complaint on December 9.
Singh is facing charges under various laws for sexual harassment, stalking, and unauthorized use of personal images. Mumbai police have reported 221 sextortion cases in the past four years, solving only 83.
Tips to Prevent Sextortion and Cyber Blackmail:
- Avoid unknown friend requests and video calls.
- Never share personal photos or discuss private matters online.
- Preserve evidence by not deleting threatening messages.
- Report threats immediately to the police.
- Keep personal information private and avoid sharing passwords.
- Regularly update your privacy settings and think before posting photos.
- Block and report suspicious messages from strangers.
- Be cautious with unknown emails to avoid viruses.
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