Man held for blackmailing woman

A 27-year-old man has been arrested from Kolhapur in Maharashtra for allegedly blackmailing a housewife, a resident of Thane, with her photos and extorting money from her, police said Monday.

According to complainant, she came into contact with a man who claimed himself to be a pilot and a resident of VIP Colony in suburban Bandra in Mumbai.

Kasarvadavali police station senior inspector Kishore Kharinar said the man, who introduced himself as Ritesh Patil, informed the complainant about various government schemes available for women.

"The man then started chatting with the woman regularly on WhatsApp and Facebook. He then demanded her photographs and also asked her to make a video call, which she obliged," the officer said.

After receiving the photographs and recording the video call, the accused asked the woman to deposit Rs 19,000 in his bank account and threatened to make her pictures viral if she failed to do so, he said.

The accused also threatened to kill the woman and her family members.

After the woman lodged an FIR, police laid a trap outside an ATM in Kolhapur and arrested the accused, whose real name is Sachin Gadkari, a resident of Hukkeri in Belgaum in Karnataka, on Saturday.

A case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Coed (IPC) and Information Technology Act.

A local court remanded the accused in police custody till July 24, said the officer.