Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur
Jaipur, Nov 10: In a shocking incident in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, a young man was allegedly lured into a meeting through the dating application Grindr, kidnapped, assaulted and forced to transfer Rs 1.42 lakh through UPI. Acting swiftly, Jaisalmer police arrested six suspects within two hours of receiving information about the incident.
The accused allegedly snatched the victim's mobile phone and ATM card and also recorded his photographs and videos.
According to police, Dalendra Bhatia, a resident of Jaisalmer, lodged a complaint at Kotwali police station on November 9, alleging that four men had taken him away from the city in a vehicle and assaulted him at an isolated location.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Bhatia had come into contact with the accused through the Grindr dating app. The suspects allegedly asked him to share his location near Gita Ashram in Jaisalmer to arrange a meeting.
One of the accused subsequently arrived in a vehicle and picked him up. After travelling a short distance, other accomplices joined them. The group allegedly forced the victim towards Baramsar, outside Jaisalmer city, in a black Hyundai Creta.
At the secluded location, the accused allegedly assaulted him, snatched his mobile phone and ATM card and coerced him into transferring Rs 1.42 lakh from his bank account through UPI.
They also reportedly recorded photographs and videos of the victim before abandoning him at an isolated spot and fleeing.
Taking serious note of the incident, District Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shivhare directed the formation of several special teams to identify and arrest the accused.
Under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Suresh Sankhla and Circle Officer Roop Singh Inda, police teams launched searches at multiple locations across Jaisalmer.
Acting on available information, the police apprehended all six suspects within two hours of receiving the complaint. The black Hyundai Creta allegedly used in the crime was also intercepted and seized from the market area.
Police have initiated steps to freeze the UPI transactions through which the money was transferred.
The six arrested suspects are reportedly residents of Uttar Pradesh. A case has been registered at Kotwali police station in Jaisalmer.
The accused are being interrogated, while investigators are examining the financial transactions and other aspects of the alleged kidnapping and extortion.
Police are also probing whether the suspects were involved in similar crimes targeting people through dating applications.