A gang that lured and robbed people through dating apps has been busted in Delhi's Kalkaji area. Five persons, including a woman, were arrested hours after they robbed a man of Rs 7 lakh.
The incident occurred on Wednesday. The victim, Anuroop Narula, said that a girl with a profile named 'Sherry' on a dating app called '3F' invited him to meet at Delhi's Nehru Place area. When he arrived at the location, three men accompanying the girl attacked him and forcibly bundled him into a car.
The accused intimidated and threatened Narula, attempted to strangle him into unconsciousness, and, under duress, forced him to transfer approximately Rs 7 lakh into their accounts using UPI, ATM cards, and credit cards. After the robbery, the accused dropped him back at Nehru Place, threatening to kill him if he reported the incident.
Following the complaint, the Delhi Police registered a case under Sections 309(4), 309(6), 140(3), and 3(5) of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita). Subsequently, a police team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ratan Lal and Inspector RS Dagar analysed CCTV footage, phone records, and digital transaction data (including CDR, OSINT, and FASTag data).
During a raid, the police arrested Rishabh Raghav along with the vehicle used in the crime. Acting on the information provided by him, his accomplices, Navojit, Sahil, Sanjay alias 'Joy', and Harleen Kaur, alias 'Jenny', were arrested from Malviya Nagar.
Police interrogation revealed that Harleen used the dating app to invite people to meet; once the time and location for the meeting were finalised, she would conspire with her accomplices to rob the unsuspecting individual.
Navojit, 30, is a gym trainer and owner, while 28-year-old Sanjay works as a veterinary assistant. Both are residents of Panchsheel Vihar. Rishabh, 25, a resident of Chhatarpur, is a cab driver.
The Delhi Police have recovered two cars used in the crime, as well as five mobile phones; they have also obtained details regarding the looted money and bank transactions. The investigation is ongoing.
