Greater Noida police arrested four men on Monday for allegedly running an extortion scam through the Grindr app. The accused, identified as Daksh alias Captain, Bhupendra alias Bhuppi, Jai Raghav, and Honey, all residents of Dadri, were apprehended based on electronic surveillance and local intelligence.
According to Sudhir Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, the gang used Grindr, a queer dating app, to lure victims into meetings. Once they met in person, the accused would threaten the victims with weapons and extort money from them.
The police seized a pistol, two knives, and an iPhone 15 Pro from the suspects. During their interrogation, two members of the gang revealed the names of their associates, which led to the arrest of the other two.
The gang is accused of extorting Rs79,000 from a victim in Knowledge Park on April 17, using part of the stolen money to buy the iPhone 15 Pro. They later blackmailed the same victim for an additional Rs24,500. Earlier in the month, they had also extorted Rs25,000 and a gold chain from another victim in Hapur.
The gang had been active for nearly a year, targeting 20–25 victims. Many of the victims, fearing the stigma and repercussions, did not report the crimes. The gang exploited this hesitation to continue their illegal activities without facing consequences.
The suspects created fake profiles on Grindr to trap their victims. One would arrange a meeting, and the others would then appear with weapons, threatening the victim and extorting money.
Police are continuing to investigate and gather information about other potential victims, with more cases likely to emerge.
