Four Arrested In Gurugram For Alleged Dating App Kidnapping And Extortion

Four men have been arrested in Gurugram for allegedly kidnapping, assaulting and extorting a 22-year-old man after luring him through a dating application, police said on Wednesday. The accused allegedly abducted the victim in a car, threatened him with death and forced him to transfer money online before he managed to escape.

According to police, the complainant, who lives in rented accommodation in Kasan village near Manesar, said he was standing outside his residence around 12.15 am on Monday when four men travelling in a white Maruti Suzuki Swift intercepted him and forcibly pushed him into the vehicle.

Investigators said the accused drove the victim to an isolated location near the Kasan hills, where they allegedly assaulted him and demanded ₹50,000. Police said the men threatened to kill the victim if he failed to arrange the money. During the incident, the accused allegedly snatched the complainant’s mobile phone, obtained its password and transferred ₹2,500 through an online payment scanner.

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The victim later managed to escape from the spot and approached the police. During the investigation, officials discovered that the accused had initially contacted the complainant through a dating application and allegedly used the interaction to lure him into meeting them before carrying out the abduction and extortion attempt.

An FIR was registered at IMT Manesar Sector-7 police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to kidnapping for ransom, extortion, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

Police said a crime branch team subsequently tracked down and arrested all four accused, aged between 19 and 25 years, who are residents of Haryana. Investigators revealed that the car allegedly used in the crime had been rented from Charkhi Dadri, while the money transferred from the victim’s account was routed to the bank account of one of the accused.

Officials said further investigation is underway to determine whether the group was involved in similar crimes targeting people through dating applications. Police have also urged citizens to exercise caution while meeting individuals contacted through online platforms, particularly in isolated areas or late-night situations.

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