Chennai, October 13: Two individuals — including a transperson — were arrested in Valasaravakkam for allegedly extorting money from a man they lured through a mobile dating app.
The victim, Udhayakumar (21), a machine operator from Villupuram, had met someone through an app and agreed to meet them at Murali Krishna Nagar in Valasaravakkam on October 9.
However, upon reaching the location, Udhayakumar realized that the person he met was not the same individual from the app profile. When he attempted to leave, the suspect — identified as Aswitha (30), a transgender person, and an accomplice, Dineshkumar (28) from Tiruchi, allegedly attacked him, snatched his phone, and transferred Rs300 via GPay.
They also threatened to kill him if he reported the incident to police.
Following his complaint, Valasaravakkam Police registered a case and arrested both suspects. The duo has been charged with extortion, assault, and criminal intimidation.
Police are investigating whether the pair are involved in other similar app-based extortion cases.
