Pune-based man lured via Instagram, held captive and blackmailed in Maihar; four arrested

According to police, the victim is a native of Bhadanpur Pahar in Maihar district and has been working in Pune. He told investigators that he became acquainted with a woman, identified as Mansi Namdev alias Goldie, on Instagram around ten days before the incident. Frequent online conversations followed, during which the two developed a friendship.

Police said the woman invited the victim to Maihar. He arrived on February 3 and met her around 7.30 pm at Ghantaghar Chowk. After spending some time together, the woman suggested they have a snack, following which they ate at a local eatery. She later asked the victim to drop her at her rented accommodation in the Ghurpura area.

Investigators said the victim initially hesitated to enter the room, but the woman persuaded him on the pretext of offering water. Shortly after he sat down, she made a phone call, following which several men entered the room. The accused allegedly assaulted the victim, confined him and recorded an obscene video.

Police said the group threatened to circulate the video on social media unless money was paid. Under pressure, the victim transferred ₹56,000 online. He was later released and subsequently approached the police to file a complaint, detailing the sequence of events.

Based on the complaint, police identified five accused in the case. Four of them — Vicky Gupta of Latagaon, Manoj alias Macho, Phoolchand Kushwaha, and the woman accused — have been taken into custody and are being interrogated. One other accused remains absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him.

Police officials said preliminary investigation suggests that the accused were operating a blackmailing racket from the rented flat. The woman allegedly lived separately from her husband and had an ongoing maintenance case in court. Investigators believe she, along with her associates, targeted men through social media platforms and lured them to the location to extort money.

Authorities said further investigation is underway to determine whether more victims were targeted using a similar modus operandi. Police have urged people to exercise caution while interacting with unknown individuals on social media and to report suspicious activity promptly.