Two hotel staff arrested on extortion charge in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: Police on Friday arrested two persons working in a hotel chain in the city for threatening a young girl and demanding extortion.
According to sources, the girl and her male friend had stayed in a OYO hotel under Nayapalli police limits on November 7. They had furnished their mobile phone numbers and copies of Aadhaar cards at the reception as identity proof. They left the hotel next morning.
On November 9, an unknown person called up the girl to tell that the couple had been filmed by hidden cameras in the hotel room. The girl snubbed him and told that she would report the matter to police.
After some days, the caller again telephoned the girl and threatened to make the video viral if she did not pay him Rs 50,000. She discussed her ordeal with her friends, who suggested her not to make online payment and hand over the cash to the caller in person.
The girl contacted the youth and said she was ready to pay Rs 20,000 but insisted that he should collect the cash from her. The meeting was fixed at CRPF Square on Thursday evening.
On the scheduled day, the girl’s five friends positioned themselves at different points at CRPF Square. When a youth approached the girl to collect the money, her friends nabbed him and handed him over to Nayapalli police.
The youth later revealed that one of his friends working in the hotel had asked him to get the money. Subsequently, the police apprehended the other youth from the hotel.
“One of the arrested persons is a juvenile. A case has been registered in this regard under Sections 385 and 34 of IPC and they have been arrested,” a police officer said.
The police also seized two mobile phones from the accused.
“According to preliminary investigation, the two youths were faking that they had made video-recording. However, investigation is on from all angles and we are ascertaining whether any other staff was involved in the incident,” a police officer said.
Meanwhile, OYO spokesperson issued a statement on Friday stating that no hidden camera was found in the lodge and they have suspended the errant staff with immediate effect.