Man Held in UP for Posing as Woman Doctor to Extort Rs 5.2 Lakh
A Bahraich man allegedly posed as a female doctor on Facebook, obtained a woman's private photos and extorted Rs 5.20 lakh from her.
A man in Uttar Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a female doctor on social media, obtaining private photographs of a woman under the pretext of treatment and then extorting money from her by threatening to make the images public, police said.
The accused has been identified as Himanshu Tayal, also known as Shami. According to Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Srivastava, Tayal created a fraudulent Facebook profile in the name of a woman doctor to approach the victim and win her trust.
He allegedly told the woman that she appeared overweight but could be made "slim-fit", and asked her to send photographs in fewer clothes for the purpose. When she hesitated, he is said to have reassured her by claiming, "I am also a woman and a doctor. Why be shy in front of a doctor?" The woman then shared some photographs with him.
Police said the accused later threatened to circulate the images on social media and to kill the woman's son, and extorted Rs 5.20 lakh from her over time. The victim's family has alleged that he was demanding an additional Rs 10 lakh.
The arrest was made near Bahraich railway station on September 17, a day after the woman's husband lodged a complaint at Dargah Shareef police station on September 16.
Two mobile phones were recovered from the accused, and the victim's photographs were allegedly found on them. Police also seized Rs 1 lakh in cash from him and recovered another Rs 1.50 lakh from his house based on information he provided.
A Hero Honda HF Deluxe motorcycle, a Daikin 1.5-ton inverter air conditioner and a Samsung LED television, allegedly bought with the extorted money, were also seized, along with bills related to the purchases.
The case has been registered under Sections 308 (extortion) and 351 (criminal intimidation), among others, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said they are examining the fake social media profile, the mobile phones and other technical evidence.
The SP said the accused also has prior cases registered against him in 2012 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and relating to theft. Tayal has been produced before a court, and further investigation is underway.