New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) The Cyber Police Station of Delhi’s North District on Monday has arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly blackmailing young women through social media by using AI-generated morphed images and extorting money from them.

According to Delhi Police, the accused, identified as Sourav, a resident of Bhalaswa Dairy, was arrested on June 4 following an investigation into a complaint lodged by a 19-year-old woman from Malkaganj.

The case came to light after the complainant filed an online complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), alleging that she was being blackmailed on social media. During the inquiry, she informed police that she had received a WhatsApp message from an unknown person who sent her a morphed image. The sender then instructed her to communicate through a Snapchat account operating under the name “Lakshay Garg.”

The accused allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 in exchange for deleting the manipulated image. Distressed by the threats, the victim’s family transferred the amount through a QR-code-based payment.

Police said that several months later, in February, the accused again contacted the victim and demanded additional money. After negotiations, the victim transferred another Rs 10,000 through a cyber cafe. The accused allegedly continued to demand more money and pressured her to provide contact details of other young women. When she refused, he continued issuing threats, prompting her to approach the police.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered under Sections 77, 79, 308(2), and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at PS Cyber, North District.

A dedicated team led by Woman Sub-Inspector Hanshul Gupta, along with Constables Shahzad, Aakash, and Aman, was constituted under the supervision of Inspector Rohit Gahlot, SHO of PS Cyber North, and the guidance of ACP Operations Vishesh Dattarwal.

During the investigation, the team collected technical and digital evidence and carried out extensive analysis. The accused was subsequently traced and apprehended from the Bhalaswa Dairy area.

During interrogation, Sourav disclosed that he worked for a private finance company and resorted to cyber extortion for illegal financial gain. Police said he targeted young women on social media by posing as a job provider. After gaining their trust, he collected their resumes and persuaded them to participate in video verification calls. Screenshots from these calls were allegedly manipulated using AI-based tools to create obscene images, which were then used to blackmail the victims and extort money.

Investigators also found that the accused had previously been arrested in two cases involving extortion, sexual harassment, and stalking in 2022 and 2023 at Bharat Nagar and Cyber Shahdara police stations, indicating a pattern of repeat offending.

Police recovered one mobile phone, a SIM card, and a Wi-Fi router allegedly used in the commission of the offence. Further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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