Bazaar Khala police in Lucknow have busted a suspected gang allegedly targeting people arriving in the city from outside, using dating apps to lure, blackmail, and extort them. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the case, which centres on a young man who had come to Lucknow to appear for a railway examination.
How the Incident Unfolded
The incident reportedly took place on the night of August 10. Sudhakar Pal, 29, a resident of Saryan village in the Muhammadabad Gohna area of Mau district, had arrived at Aishbagh railway station by the Kaifiyat Express, scheduled to appear for a railway examination the following day. While searching for accommodation near the station, he allegedly connected with someone through the Grindr dating app who offered to arrange a room at a low price, and asked him to come to Charbagh railway station.
After Sudhakar reached Charbagh, several other young men allegedly joined the first person. According to the complaint, the group took him to a secluded location under the pretext of arranging accommodation. There, the accused allegedly began threatening him, accusing him of having obscene content on the dating app. The situation reportedly escalated into physical assault and intimidation, with the accused pressuring him to hand over money.
Drugged and Forced Into Transferring Money
The complaint further alleges that the accused mixed an intoxicating substance into water and forced Sudhakar to consume it. Once he was incapacitated, they allegedly used his own mobile phone to make five separate online transfers totalling ₹90,000. After obtaining the money, the accused allegedly damaged his phone. When Sudhakar regained consciousness, he managed to seek help and reached Bazaar Khala police station, where he reported the incident.
How Police Traced and Arrested the Accused
Following the complaint, police registered a case and began investigating the alleged extortion. Investigators examined bank transaction details linked to the payments, scrutinised suspicious mobile numbers, and reviewed CCTV footage from the railway station and surrounding areas to establish the movements of the suspects. Based on these leads, police arrested eight accused near Aishbagh railway station on Saturday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Raj, Nikhil Rawat, Abhijeet Rajput, Raj Rajput, Meraj Ahmed, Aditya Verma, advocate Dhirendra Pratap Singh (alias Dheeraj Singh), and Nisar Ahmed. According to police, Meraj is originally from Bahraich, Aditya Verma from Ghaziabad, and Dhirendra Pratap Singh from Pratapgarh. Investigators have identified Dhirendra Pratap Singh as the alleged leader of the group, noting that three separate assault cases were already registered against him at Patti police station in Pratapgarh.
A Possible Pattern Targeting Outsiders
Investigators are now examining whether the arrested suspects had targeted other people using a similar method, and are trying to determine whether the group specifically identified people arriving in Lucknow from other districts who needed short-term accommodation and were unfamiliar with the city — a pattern that would suggest a deliberate, repeated strategy rather than an isolated incident.
Police recovered an unnumbered scooter, two motorcycles, and a mobile phone allegedly used in the incident. The recovered device and banking records are being examined to identify the gang's broader activities and determine whether other victims may have been targeted. Investigators are also looking into how the accused allegedly made contact through dating apps, and whether personal information gathered during these interactions was later used for intimidation or extortion.
A Reminder About Online Safety
This case has also drawn attention to the genuine risks of sharing personal information with strangers on dating and social networking platforms. Users are advised not to install unfamiliar applications at another person's request, and to avoid sharing private information or live location with people they don't know. Any first meeting with an online contact should ideally take place in a public location, with a trusted person informed about the meeting beforehand.
If someone threatens or blackmails a person over private conversations, photographs, or dating-app activity and demands money, victims are advised to avoid making payments under pressure. Instead, they should preserve chats, profiles, mobile numbers, and transaction records, and report the matter to police. The investigation remains ongoing, with further legal action expected based on digital evidence recovered and information obtained from the arrested suspects.
FAQs
Q1. How was the victim allegedly lured into the trap?
The victim was contacted through the dating app Grindr by someone offering a cheap room, then asked to come to Charbagh railway station, where several accused allegedly joined and took him to a secluded location.
Q2. How much money was allegedly extorted from the victim?
The accused allegedly forced the victim to transfer ₹90,000 through five separate online transactions after drugging and assaulting him.
Q3. What should someone do if blackmailed over dating app activity?
Victims are advised not to make payments under pressure, to preserve all chats, profiles, and transaction records, and to report the matter to police immediately.