Gang held for luring single women and blackmailing them with videos

The Mahalakshmi Layout police on Saturday arrested a gang, including a couple, for trapping single women and blackmailing them with videos recordeds after forcing them to strip.

The accused have been identified as R. Mangala, 30, her husband Ravi Kumar, 35, and their associates Shivakumar and Srinivas.

According to the police, Mangala used to target single women by promising to get them an alliance to gain their confidence and rob them by blackmailing them with the videos.

Using a similar modus operandi, the accused lured a 32-year-old private firm employee and took her to an isolated place on Magadi Road, threatened her at knifepoint to strip and recorded videos. They later threatened to upload the videos on social media and forced her to hand over the valuables she was wearing and made her transfer ₹84,000 online. The accused later took her in a car and withdrew ₹40,000 from an ATM before releasing her. The accused had even assaulted her when she resisted.

The victim got admitted to a private hospital for treatment before filing a police complaint. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case and arrested the accused.

The police are investigating to ascertain whether the accused had committed similar offences in the recent past.