Bengaluru Techie’s Bumble Date Turns Into Rs 2 Lakh Extortion Nightmare
What began as a promising date for a Bengaluru techie turned into a terrifying ordeal involving extortion and deceit. After weeks of texting and video calls, the man met a woman named Sangeetha through the dating app Bumble. Their first in-person meeting at a coffee shop went smoothly, and later she suggested they go to a room to have a few drinks. That decision, however, led to a nightmare.
While they were chatting in the room, four men suddenly barged in, accusing the techie of being involved in a drug party. Claiming to be calling the police, they demanded to search the room and pulled out packets of white powder from the woman’s bag, alleging it was drugs.
Sangeetha, in a dramatic turn, began crying and fled to another room, threatening suicide. In panic and fearing arrest, the techie pleaded with the men. They initially demanded ₹15 lakh but eventually settled for ₹2 lakh, which he paid to avoid further trouble.
Three days later, the techie filed a complaint with the police, leading to the exposure of a well-organized extortion racket. Investigations revealed that the entire scenario was staged from the beginning—the match on Bumble, the date, and the setup. The white powder was confirmed to be baking soda.
Police have arrested six individuals: Sharanabasappa, Raju Mane, Shyam Sundar, Abhishek, Birbal, and Sangeetha. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East Division), Sajeeth V J, told NDTV that one of the accused has a history of similar crimes in Bengaluru. Authorities are also investigating the backgrounds of the others.
Sangeetha, originally from Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly working in a dance bar prior to her involvement in the gang. Police believe there may be more victims and have urged anyone with similar experiences to come forward.
“We are trying to identify additional victims. The gang members have confessed to committing similar crimes before. Our investigation is ongoing,” the DCP added.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
