In a disturbing case of cyber blackmail, three men were arrested in Belagavi, Karnataka for allegedly planting hidden cameras in the home of a woman officer and attempting to extort Rs50 lakh by threatening to release private videos online.
The accused reportedly concealed miniature cameras inside bulb holders to secretly record footage from within the officer’s residence. Later, posing as journalists, they repeatedly contacted the officer and warned that the videos would be made public unless their demands were met. Distressed by the threats, the officer approached the Police Commissioner and lodged a formal complaint.
Police identified the accused as Sameer Nisar Ahmed Sheikh, Abdul Rashid Makandar, and Mohammed Balekundri, all residents of Karnataka. Authorities noted the sophistication of the surveillance devices used to capture the footage.
During the arrests, police recovered two Samsung Galaxy Ultra smartphones, a Vivo phone, a 64 GB pen drive, six hidden cameras, two OTG devices, two memory cards, eight 128 GB memory cards, and an Innova Crysta car.
Investigators said further inquiry is underway to determine the duration of the surveillance and identify any other individuals involved in the extortion racket.
