A 28-year-old man who allegedly blackmailed a woman by sharing her private images and videos on social media has been arrested by the Delhi Police.
The accused has been identified as Prabhat Chaudhary, a native of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh.
Bhisham Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest), said in a statement, “Chaudhary had no previous criminal record and is currently unemployed.”
The matter came to light after the complainant, the woman’s brother, Priyanshu Mawana, filed a report stating that a man known to him had sent him sexually explicit images and videos of his sister via social media.
In his complaint, Mawana alleged, “Chaudhary was using the images and videos to blackmail my sister. He even threatened to upload them online if his demands were not met.”
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered and an investigation initiated.
Initially, a police team raided the accused’s residence in Bulandshahr, but he was no longer living there, DCP Singh said. The police then analyzed his digital footprint, which led to locating and arresting him.
The investigation revealed that Chaudhary is a close relative of the complainant. He reportedly used multiple social media accounts and kept his phone switched off to avoid detection. He also used the ‘view once’ feature while sending the explicit content, making it difficult for recipients to save or forward it.
Upon his arrest, police recovered a mobile phone used in the commission of the crime.
During sustained questioning, Chaudhary confessed to his involvement. He admitted to sending the obscene material to the complainant to blackmail his sister and pressure her into fulfilling his personal demands.
The officer further said that Chaudhary is unmarried and not formally employed.
“During interrogation, he claimed to be facing financial issues and said he acted out of frustration and personal motives. These claims are being verified,” the DCP added.
Further investigation is underway.