Bijnor: Kunwar Bhartendra Singh, a former BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor, has lodged a police complaint, alleging that he was 'honey-trapped' and 'blackmailed' by an 'unidentified woman' who sought sexual favours from him via a video call.
The complaint has been filed at Najibabad police station.
"I got multiple video calls from an unidentified person a few days ago. I disconnected several times but they kept calling me repeatedly. Later, I received a message on WhatsApp, in which the caller identified herself as a woman and asked me to pick up the phone.
"When I finally picked up, the woman sought sexual favours from me. I disconnected immediately but I got another call, in which she could be seen in a compromising position. When I disconnected again, I received some morphed pictures with my face extracted from the call," Singh claimed.
He further alleged that the woman began blackmailing him soon after, threatening to release the pictures.
Addressing reporters, Bijnor SP Dinesh Singh said: "Police have registered a case under section 67 (transmitting obscene material) of the IT Act and section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC based on the complaint filed by Kunwar Bhartendra Singh. A probe is on and we are trying to trace the accused woman. We appeal to people to not pick up any unknown video call on their phones."
The SP added that such scams are common on social media and the women associated with it make video calls mostly at night.
When someone receives the call, their picture becomes part of the video.
Later, these gang members blackmail them to extort money. Those who get scared, give money, the SP said.
—IANS