Delhi Woman Blackmailed With Nude Photos, Acid Attack Threat After Boyfriend Turns Blackmailer; Man Arrested

A 37-year-old man was arrested for reportedly threatening his ex-girlfriend, whom he met online, with an 'acid attack' and subjecting her to various forms of harassment, the police said on Friday. The arrested individual, identified as Himanshu Arora, a Delhi University graduate, is married, and his family runs a sanitary business in the Friends Colony Industrial Area in Shahdara, Delhi.

The story dates to 2021 when both of them met on Instagram, and later their friendship blossomed. "Over time, under the pretext of emotional intimacy, the accused coerced the victim into sharing private content, which he later used to blackmail her," the police said, news agency PTI reported.

To sexually harass and extort the woman, Arora created several fake Instagram accounts using her images and identities. When the woman confronted Arora in distress, he attempted to deflect blame by alleging that a laptop technician might have accessed her data during repairs; however, despite this excuse, his harassment continued.

"She was subjected to demands for money, including a Rs 1 lakh extortion attempt, forced participation in explicit video calls, and threats ranging from acid attacks and kidnapping to fabricated legal charges, including fake FIR notices and murder case claims," the police added.

Police Uncover 9 Fake Instagram Accounts

After the filing of a complaint on May 28, police launched technical surveillance and digital analysis, uncovering that the accused had used nine fake Instagram accounts and a Gmail ID to torment the victim.

Investigators revealed that the phone number linked to these online accounts was registered under Arora’s mother’s name but was being used by him. Arora was arrested on May 29, and during questioning, he admitted to blackmail and sexually exploiting the woman. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.

Police recovered two mobile phones and a laptop from his possession, which contained nude and semi-nude images of the victim, a screenshot of a fake Instagram profile, and login details for the accounts used in the harassment.

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