Sri Vijaya Puram | Three women and a man were arrested in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly blackmailing a person to extort money with his partly undressed photos and videos after honey trapping him, police said on Wednesday.
The person came into contact with one of the women on a dating app and was allegedly lured to a house near Dhanikhari Junction in Sri Vijaya Puram for a meeting over coffee, according to the complaint lodged with the CID's Crime and Economic Offences Wing.
The man alleged in the complaint that he was offered a soft drink laced with sedatives, which rendered him unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he found himself partially undressed with two women and a man allegedly clicking his videos and photographs.
"The accused allegedly threatened to implicate him in a false case and create a public scene. He was also warned that the videos and photographs would be shared with his family members. He was wrongfully confined and coerced into transferring Rs 50,000 through UPI," a senior officer said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the racket was allegedly operating on the island for the past few years and several people may have been targeted in a similar fashion, he said.
The accused persons were subsequently arrested on Tuesday by the CID, and a court remanded them to judicial custody, he added.
"Anyone who may have been targeted in a similar way should immediately contact the Crime and Economic Offences Wing for legal assistance," the officer said.
