Three men running a sophisticated extortion racket have been arrested and apprehended at the hand of Belagavi City Police. Members of the group reportedly broke into the home of a female government official, secretly tapped into her private life with hidden cameras and tried to extort over ₹50 lakh.
The Accused
Arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Sameer Nisar Ahmed Sheikh (32) of Jalal Galli, Gokak.
- Abdul Rashid Nazeer Ahmed Makandar (51) Yogikolla, Gokak.
- Mohammad Dilawar Balekundri (43), Ghataprabha, Gokak.
To be sure, the group features not only an alleged RTI activist but also people posing as YouTube journalists.
The Modus Operandi
The suspects gained entrance to the officer's home, police discovered, supposedly aided by a domestic worker who gave them the house keys. Once inside, they deployed six tiny covert cameras discreetly hidden in electric light bulb holders in key spots of the scene, including the bedroom.
So the trio got in touch with the officer, who had filmed private video of them for several weeks before initially asking the officer for ₹1 crore but later “negotiated” down to ₹50 lakh. They threatened to share the sensitive footage on YouTube news channels and social media if they were not paid.
Police Action and Seizure
In rebuffing the blackmail, the victim approached the Malamaruti Police Station. Led by CPI B.R. Gaddekar, under the direction of Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, set up a trap and apprehended the trio.
Some of the things seized during the arrest:
- Multiple hidden cameras and bulb-holder equipment.
- Luxury phones (Samsung Galaxy Ultra models, among them).
- Data recorded in laptops, memory cards and pen drives.
- A vehicle: an Innova Crysta used by the accused.
A Warning to the Public
The police chief, Police Commissioner Borase, a member of the police said vigilance has been a priority, adding that we could notice any strange objects placed in bulb holders or smoke detectors, particularly in private places or in private quarters, that people must be wary and look for unusual items of lightbulb holders or detectors if they notice or found in the bulb holder or smoke detector. He also cautioned against keeping house keys in the sills or close spaces like window sills, he stressed, particularly in predictable places where there must not be something in particular and close to an open door.
The accused are charged as per relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
