Civil Services aspirant arrested for blackmailing couple with their private video

A 28-year-old man from Durg district in Chhattisgarh, who had repeatedly failed to pass civil services exams, was arrested for attempting to extort Rs 10 lakh from a couple after secretly recording their intimate moments. 

The accused, Vinay Kumar Sahu, initially intended to burglarize the couple's home in early May but instead filmed them using his mobile phone. Sahu later demanded money from the couple, threatening to release the video if they did not comply.

The couple, residents of Ahiwara village in the Nandini police station area, reported the incident to the police on June 17. The male victim informed authorities that he received the video clip via WhatsApp from an unknown number, accompanied by a demand for Rs 10 lakh to prevent the video from being posted on social media.

Sub Divisional Officer of Police (Dhamdha) Sanjay Pundhir stated that a joint team from Nandini police and the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit (ACCU) was formed to investigate. Using technical evidence and CCTV footage, the police identified and arrested Sahu on June 25.

During interrogation, Sahu admitted to previously burglarizing the couple's home twice and sneaking in again on May 5 with the intention of stealing. Instead, he recorded their private moments and later used the footage to blackmail them. The police recovered three mobile phones and three SIM cards from Sahu's possession.

Sahu, a resident of Ahiwara with a bachelor's degree in engineering, had been preparing for civil services exams but failed multiple times. To support himself, he began stealing mobile phones and other items in his locality. 

Sahu has been charged under Section 384 (punishment for extortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and further investigation is ongoing.

Also read: 'Congress can never improve': Himanta Biswa Sarma over Sam Pitroda's reinstatement