Extortion accused threatened to get man infected with HIV, three arrested

The arrested accused also included the woman who has alleged gangrape. Goel and his company had made news last year with the ‘Freedom’ smartphone, priced at Rs 251.

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Mittal allegedly told the man that his brother and four others were caught in an alleged “honeytrap”, and that he would be given “AIDS injections” or have his water “infected with bacteria”, police said. (Representational Image)

To intimidate the jailed businessman he was allegedly blackmailing, Vikas Mittal, owner of a leading lounge in Delhi, told his brother that he would “get the businessman infected with HIV inside jail”, police have revealed.

Mittal and two others — including Mohit Goel, the founder and former director of Ringing Bells — were arrested on Sunday for allegedly trying to extort money to the tune of Rs 3 crore to settle an alleged gangrape case in Alwar, police said. The arrested accused also included the woman who has alleged gangrape. Goel and his company had made news last year with the ‘Freedom’ smartphone, priced at Rs 251.

The businessmen and four others were sent to jail after the accused woman, employed with Mittal’s lounge, had alleged she was gangraped in a hotel. A case was then registered in Alwar on May 5.

On Sunday, the brother of the businessman being allegedly blackmailed met Mittal at an office in Netaji Subhash place. Right outside, a five-member police team dressed in plainclothes was waiting.

DCP (northwest) Aslam Khan said, “Mittal wanted to strike fear into the businessman’s brother (to extort money). He also pretended to make calls to the jail warden, asking him to give inmates clean water and good food.”

Police said that ever since the five men were sent to jail, Mittal had been in contact with one of them and initially tried to extort Rs 5 crore. The businessman relayed the information to his brother, who tried to negotiate with Mittal and paid Rs 1.10 crore.

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Fed up with the scare tactics, the businessman’s brother contacted police and provided more than 200 audio tapes, 100 WhatsApp messages and CCTV footage. On the day of the ‘deal’, the brother insisted the woman sign an affidavit that she was withdrawing the case. Once that was done, police swooped in and made the arrests.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More