Gujarat Man Lured Via Gay Dating App, Stripped and Blackmailed; Seven Arrested

A 44-year-old man from Gujarat's Surendranagar was allegedly lured through the Polo dating app to an abandoned house, where a seven-member gang assaulted, stripped and blackmailed him using obscene photos and videos. The gang allegedly extorted Rs 31,000 by threatening to post the content online. Police arrested all seven accused.

A 44-year-old man from Gujarat's Surendranagar district was allegedly lured through a gay dating application, assaulted, stripped and blackmailed by a seven-member gang that threatened to leak his private photos and videos online. Police have arrested all seven accused and recovered the money allegedly taken from the victim.

Friendship on app turned into a trap

According to the police, as reported by India Today, the victim had downloaded a dating application called "Polo" and started chatting with people online. During one conversation, he became friendly with a group that slowly gained his trust.

After several chats, the group invited him to meet at an abandoned house located behind Surendranagar Medical College on the outskirts of Surendranagar city.

When the man reached the location, he allegedly found seven men waiting for him.

Assault, threats and extortion

Police said the accused surrounded the victim, assaulted him and forcibly removed his clothes. They allegedly recorded obscene photos and videos before demanding money.

The gang allegedly took Rs 31,000 in cash and warned the victim that the photos and videos would be shared on social media if he refused to pay or reported the matter to the police.

Deeply shaken by the incident, the man later approached the police and lodged a complaint.

Seven accused arrested

Using technical surveillance and local intelligence, police traced and arrested all seven accused.

The arrested men have been identified as Sahil Chauhan, Shakti Bajipara, Bhargav Parmar, Sameer Kodia, Fardeen Shaikh, Sameer Dewan and Ankit Tyagi.

Police said they have recovered the full amount allegedly extorted from the victim.

During the investigation, police found that one of the accused, Shakti Bajipara, had earlier been booked in two serious honeytrap-related cases.

Investigators suspect the gang may have been using social media platforms and dating applications to identify victims, lure them to isolated places and then blackmail them using compromising photos and videos.

Police are now investigating whether the group targeted other victims using the same method.