Mumbai: Man arrested for blackmailing student over intimate video with girlfriend

The police identified the accused as Arbaaz Hanif Ukani, who was arrested on Monday night. They are on the lookout for his accomplice Zyed.

An officer said that Ukani and Zyed met the 20-year-old BCom student through a common friend.

“The three started meeting more often and became close friends… Around six months ago, one of the complainant’s friends told him that Ukani and Zyed are going to get him arrested in a drug case… the complainant then started distancing himself from them and eventually ended the friendship,” the officer added.

“This did not go well with Ukani and Zyed. In October, Ukani called the BCom student to say that he has an intimate video of him with his girlfriend,” the officer said.

Later, Ukani met the BCom student and showed him the video, in which he could be seen with his girlfriend without clothes. “The complainant was shocked and tried to inquire how Ukani managed to get the video,” said the officer.

While threatening to circulate the video, Ukani allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from the BCom student to delete it. “The complainant was told that even Zyed has a copy of the video and they shall circulate it if he refuses to give them the money,” said the officer.

The police said Ukani and Zyed kept on making threatening calls to the student. The two had even threatened to kill him if he approaches the police, the officer said. However, as he could not manage to get the money, late last week, the 20-year-old filed a complaint at Oshiwara police station, where a case on charges of extortion and criminal intimidation was registered.

The Anti-Extortion Cell arrested Ukani, who was produced in court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody till November 16.