Delhi Ayurvedic doctor loses Rs 8.59 lakh to cyber fraudsters in sextortion case

New Delhi: Members of a sextortion gang allegedly duped an Ayurvedic doctor of more than Rs 8 lakh in the name of deleting an ''obscene'' video of him in east Delhi's Khichripur area, police said on Wednesday. 

According to the FIR, registered at a cyber police station in east district, the 71-year-old doctor said he had received a video call on July 13 last year, which he attended.

“The caller was a woman, she shouted that someone needed medical help and the call got disconnected. I thought that some patient needed my help,” read the FIR.

“I immediately disconnected the call and switched off my mobile phone. On July 15, when I turned on my phone, I started getting calls from different people who introduced themselves as personnel of Delhi Police and told me that my video went viral on social media,” the FIR read.

The complainant told police that he started getting threat calls from different numbers regarding the video.

“I was under pressure and fear as the callers were saying that the video went viral on several social media platforms. They extorted money in the name of arrest of the accused in Mumbai, travel expenses, court expenses. They (accused) extorted a total of Rs 8.59 lakh so far and threatened me with dire consequences,” the complainant told the police.

An FIR under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was registered and police said the matter is being probed.

“Teams have been formed to nab the accused. We are checking mobile number details. Accused will be arrested soon,” a senior police officer said.