Police Investigate Two Major Cases of Blackmail and Fraud in Himachal Pradesh
In a shocking development, a man from Palampur has reported being blackmailed with an obscene video, while in a separate incident, Manali police have nabbed a gang involved in prostitution fraud. The two cases, though separate, have brought attention to growing criminal activities in the region, prompting swift action from local law enforcement.
The first case involves a 52-year-old mushroom trader from Tanda Rajpur, Palampur. He lodged a complaint against four individuals—two women and two men—accusing them of extortion and blackmail. According to the victim, the incident began when he received a call from a woman in Ram Chowk, Palampur, asking to purchase mushrooms. Upon arriving at her house, he found two women inside. They gave him water, locked the door, and then engaged in obscene acts. Shortly after, two men entered the room, assaulted him, and forcibly filmed an obscene video.
The victim claimed the group demanded ₹1.5 lakh, threatening to release the video if he didn’t pay. Terrified, he approached the Palampur police station, where a formal case was registered. Station in-charge Bhupendra Singh Thakur confirmed that an investigation is underway, with the accused currently being tracked by the police.
Meanwhile, in Manali, local police exposed a gang involved in prostitution-related fraud after receiving a complaint from Pradeep Bagati, a resident of Jharkhand. Bagati reported that he was tricked by a woman at the Manali bus stand, who promised him a room at a cheap rate. When he followed her to Aleu, she demanded ₹2000 for engaging in sexual activity. As soon as he undressed, she took photographs and summoned her accomplices. A second woman and two men then entered, robbing him of ₹5000 in cash, taking his ATM card, and withdrawing ₹10,000.
The gang threatened Bagati, demanding an additional ₹50,000 to ensure his release. Bagati managed to escape and alerted the Manali police. Acting swiftly, the police arrested the suspects and recovered 12 mobile phones, ATM cards, and cash. The arrested individuals were identified as Vishal from Shimla, Deepak from Chandigarh, and two women from Kullu and Manimajra.
Manali police station in-charge Manish Sharma stated that this gang had been operating for over two years, targeting unsuspecting individuals. The gang’s network is now under further investigation, with more arrests likely.
These two cases underline the growing concern over extortion and organized fraud in Himachal Pradesh, as police intensify efforts to combat such criminal activities.
