Gurugram SHOCKER! Teen blackmailed with morphed photos, forced to pay Rs 80 lakh

A 15-year-old girl was blackmailed by a youth who had obtained her private photos and morphed them into explicit images. Terrified of the shame and consequences, she kept her ordeal hidden, believing that paying him off would end the torment.

For eight agonizing months, a 15-year-old girl lived in fear, blackmailed by a youth who had obtained her private photos and morphed them into explicit images. Terrified of the shame and consequences, she kept her ordeal hidden, believing that paying him off would end the torment.

But what she didn't know was that she had fallen into the trap of an organized extortion racket.

A casual mention turned into an elaborate blackmail scheme

The chain of events began in February 2024, with an innocent conversation at school, Times of India (TOI) reported. The teenager had casually mentioned her grandmother’s bank account to a friend, not realizing that word would spread. A Class X student overheard and shared it with his elder brother, who saw an opportunity. He and his associates devised a scheme, bringing 20-year-old Sumit Kataria into the plan.

Sumit befriended the girl on social media, gained access to some of her photos, and allegedly morphed them. The gang then obtained her phone number and began blackmailing her, threatening to leak the images unless she transferred money to their accounts.

Rs 80 lakh drained from grandmother’s account

Fearing humiliation, the girl complied. Over eight months, she withdrew money in batches from her grandmother’s Rs 80 lakh bank account, which she had access to. Each time she paid, the blackmailers returned with fresh demands, pushing her deeper into distress.

But by December 2024, the funds had dried up. When she couldn’t pay anymore, another blackmailer, Naveen Kumar (28), escalated the threats—confronting her at her tuition class.

Tuition teacher steps in, police crackdown follows

This confrontation was a turning point. The tuition teacher noticed her distress, spoke to her, and learned about the blackmail scheme. He immediately alerted her family, who approached the police.  

A detailed investigation began in December 2024, leading to the arrest of six suspects so far. On Tuesday, police arrested Naveen Kumar, recovering Rs 5 lakh and a debit card from him.  

“Naveen is currently in judicial remand. Earlier, we arrested five others in December 2024 and January 2025. So far, Rs 36 lakh has been recovered from the accused,” police spokesperson Sandeep told TOI.

The victim, a Class IX student at a private school, lives with her grandmother while her father works in Delhi. Her 75-year-old grandmother expressed shock at how the criminals manipulated her granddaughter, stating that she had Rs 80 lakh in her bank account after she sold land last year.