BHUBANESWAR: Police on Saturday arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly extorting Rs 4.96 lakh from a woman by blackmailing to make her objectionable photos and videos viral.
Police sources said, the accused Manoranjan Khatei of Balianta, had developed a close relationship with the victim and captured her obscene photographs and videos without her knowledge. He then started demanding money from her by threatening to make the photos and videos public.
Fearing dire consequences, the woman transferred Rs 96,000 to his account through UPI payments besides giving him Rs 4 lakh in cash in the last few months. However, Khatei continued to demand more money from her. When the woman refused, he sent the obscene photos and videos to her family members, further threatening to post them on social media. Subsequently, the woman lodged a complaint in this regard with Mahila police.
Police arrested Khatei and seized the mobile phone used in the crime. The accused reportedly has criminal antecedents and was earlier arrested by Balianta police in connection with a miscellaneous case. Investigation revealed one of Khatei’s associates was also involved in his plan to blackmail and extort money from the victim. Police said efforts are on to nab the other accused.