Pune Man Arrested for Blackmailing Women After Online Friendship

A 28-year-old man from Hadapsar in Pune was apprehended by the Nigdi police for his involvement in blackmailing women whom he befriended on social media platforms. 

The arrest came after a 43-year-old woman from Akurdi filed a complaint, alleging that the man extorted 340 grams of gold from her through blackmail.

Identified as Suraj Parmar alias Suraj Jain alias Drish Malpani, the suspect was tracked down by the police to Sayyadnagar in Hadapsar. The arrest led to the recovery of the gold belonging to the complainant, which the suspect had allegedly sold off through an acquaintance. 

Additionally, morphed photos of the victim were also seized by the authorities. Senior Inspector Shatrughna Mali of the Nigdi police revealed that further investigation uncovered a disturbing incident involving the suspect and a woman from Solapur who ultimately took her own life due to harassment by him. This case, registered in 2019 with the Swargate police, shed light on the suspect’s pattern of exploiting vulnerable individuals.

In the recent case that led to the arrest, the suspect initiated contact with the complainant, who operates an online business, in April last year. 

Under the guise of purchasing herbal products, he befriended her and later threatened to expose their photographs unless she paid him Rs12 lakh. The harassment persisted even after the victim changed her phone number.

Authorities suspect that the arrested individual may have targeted additional victims and urge anyone with relevant information to come forward and contact the Nigdi police.