New Delhi: A woman has found herself in a perilous situation after sharing personal images with a man she met online, resulting in threats of an acid attack and various forms of harassment, according to police reports released on Friday.
Himanshu Arora, a 37-year-old graduate of Delhi University, was arrested following a thorough investigation into the harassment allegations against him. Arora, who is married, operates a sanitary business in the Friends Colony Industrial Area of Shahdara.
The woman initially connected with Arora on Instagram in 2021, and their friendship developed over time. However, under the guise of emotional intimacy, Arora coerced her into sharing private content, which he subsequently used to blackmail her, police stated.
In a disturbing turn of events, Arora created multiple fake Instagram profiles using her images to further harass and extort her. When the distressed woman confronted him about his actions, Arora attempted to deflect blame, suggesting that a laptop technician might have stolen her data while repairing her device. Despite this claim, his harassment continued unabated.
The police reported that the woman was subjected to a series of alarming demands, including an extortion attempt for ₹1 lakh, forced participation in explicit video calls, and threats that ranged from acid attacks and kidnapping to fabricated legal charges, including false FIR notices and murder claims.
A case was officially registered on May 28, and subsequent technical surveillance and digital analysis uncovered nine fake Instagram profiles and a Gmail account used to perpetrate the harassment. Authorities revealed that the mobile number associated with these accounts was registered in Arora’s mother’s name but was being operated by him.
Arora was apprehended on May 29, and during interrogation, he confessed to the blackmail and exploitation. He has since been remanded to judicial custody as the investigation continues.
Two mobile phones and a laptop were confiscated from him, which contained semi-nude photographs of the woman, a screenshot of a fraudulent Instagram account, and credentials associated with abusive online profiles.
