Assam-based man arrested for blackmailing women on social media

Team Udayavani, Sep 4, 2023, 2:00 PM IST

A 26-year-old man from Assam, identified as Faisal, has been apprehended for blackmailing women on social media.

The accused, who had relocated to Bengaluru a few years ago and was employed in a private company, was known for his active presence on social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram, particularly Instagram. During this period, he established a close relationship with a married woman he met on the platform and secretly recorded their private moments using his mobile phone.

Several months ago, Faisal left his job in Bangalore and secured employment in Chennai. It was at this juncture that he reportedly called the victim and demanded that she travel to Chennai to engage in physical contact with him. When she declined his coercive request, he resorted to threats, sending her explicit content from their past encounters. This terrified the victim, prompting her to report the matter to the authorities.

Upon receiving the complaint, the police devised a plan to apprehend the accused. They arranged for the victim to lure Faisal to Chennai, and, when he arrived, the police took him into custody.

During the subsequent investigation, it was revealed that Faisal had targeted multiple women in a similar manner in the past. He had created two to three fake Instagram accounts to approach married women who shared beautiful photos and special moments on the platform. Faisal’s modus operandi involved initiating conversations with friendly greetings such as “good morning” and “good night.”

He would then gradually manipulate these women by exploiting their emotions and claiming to protect them from various threats and atrocities. Subsequently, he would establish an intimate relationship with them, which often led to physical encounters. Shockingly, Faisal secretly recorded these sexual acts and used the footage to blackmail his victims for money.

A case has been registered.