Hubballi: CCB arrests five, including two women, for blackmailing trader with nude video

Hubballi: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police arrested five individuals, including two women, on Tuesday for blackmailing a city trader by recording a nude video and demanding money in exchange for not making it public.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Joya Nadaf, Parveen Ballari, Syed Tahsildar, Tausif, and Abdul, according to DCP Mahaning Nandgavi. The victim, identified as Chaganlal, a trader dealing in utensils, was reportedly targeted by this gang.

Joya Nadaf initially contacted Chaganlal by phone and befriended him. She later invited him to meet her at Unkal Cross and took him to a house in Rajanagar, where she forced him to strip and recorded the video. Following this, the group demanded a large sum of money, threatening to make the video go viral if he did not comply. They also issued death threats. On Monday, Chaganlal filed a complaint at the Ashoknagar police station.

Based on his complaint, the CCB police successfully arrested the honeytrap gang. During the arrest, two motorcycles, five mobile phones, and Rs 9,000 in cash were seized from the accused.

It has been revealed that the same gang has been involved in similar crimes in Goa and Ballari. Further investigations are underway.

The male members of the gang were reportedly collecting phone numbers from signs outside shops and passing them to the women. These women would then send messages to traders, develop a rapport, and lure them into traps. The gang would later record explicit videos of the victims and use them for blackmail.