London School of Economics graduate among 3 arrested in Delhi cyber-extortion case
The police said that the three conspired in India but travelled to Thailand to avoid detection before placing the extortion calls.
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The three accused had sent a QR code for cryptocurrency transfer as part of the extortion attempt. (AI-generated image)Three men, including a 31-year-old graduate of the London School of Economics, were arrested in Delhi on Thursday for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 2 crore from a businessman by using the name of a notorious gangster, the police said.
The case began on August 11, when the complainant reported receiving an international WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller, identifying himself with the gangster’s name, threatened to kill the complainant’s children if the money was not paid. A QR code for cryptocurrency transfer was also sent as part of the extortion attempt, the police said.
A case under Section 308(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at the Desh Bandhu Gupta Road police station. The cybercrime unit, working with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of the Ministry of Home Affairs, traced the call and the QR code. Investigators said the cryptocurrency trail led to Thailand, where the accused had purchased an international SIM card in an effort to disguise their location.
“Simultaneously the field level surveillance team kept a close watch on the suspects’ addresses in India. Once the suspects landed back in India, they were immediately apprehended,” said Nidhin Valsan, deputy commissioner of police for the Central district. “During interrogation, the accused persons revealed that all three of them were heavily debt-ridden, and to pay off their debts in an easy way, they chose this extortion plot. One of the accused, Sumit, who works in the jewellery business, was well acquainted with the complainant and his family. To instil fear, they used the name of a well-known gangster.”
The men were identified as Sumit, 42, a commerce graduate from West Punjabi Bagh; Prince, 35, a school dropout from Roshanara Road; and Nitish, 31, a master’s degree holder in software management from the London School of Economics who resides in Moti Nagar. Police said they recovered two mobile phones: one used to generate the cryptocurrency QR code and another to place the international WhatsApp call.
The police added that the three conspired in India but travelled to Thailand to avoid detection before placing the extortion calls.
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