The Uttar Pradesh Police have dismantled a racket that exploited dating apps to lure victims into extortion schemes. On Thursday, authorities arrested eight suspects, comprising five women, a café manager, and two café owners, following a raid at the Tiger Café near Kaushambi Metro Station in Ghaziabad.
Key suspects include Khalid alias Imran, along with associates Sumit and Nadeem, all of whom were instrumental in orchestrating the scam. The operation was uncovered after a complaint was filed by Vikas Gupta, who reported being drawn into the scheme after chatting with a girl online.
According to police reports, the accused would invite individuals to the café under the pretense of meeting girls, then charge exorbitant prices for food and drinks. When victims hesitated to pay the inflated bills, they were reportedly held hostage and demanded additional payments.
Gupta’s ordeal began on October 21, when he met a girl he had been chatting with at Kaushambi Metro Station, leading them to the café. After ordering a soft drink, Gupta was shocked to receive a bill of approximately Rs16,000. Sensing something was amiss, he sent his location to a friend for help.
After refusing to pay the bill, Gupta was threatened and forced to hand over Rs4,500 in cash and make an online payment of Rs2,000. His friend contacted the police, who acted swiftly and rescued him by 8 PM the same day.
An FIR was registered on October 23, resulting in the arrest of Khalid, Nadeem, Sumit, and five women: Sanjana Gujjar, Nisha Rana, Deepanshika, and Aksha. Although the suspects initially evaded capture, police later apprehended them.
DCP Trans-Hindon, Nimish Patil, stated that the arrested individuals face charges under sections 127 (2) for wrongful confinement and 308 (2) for extortion. Additionally, an investigation into police inaction is underway to determine why the authorities did not respond promptly when Gupta’s friend called for assistance.
