The digital age has brought about significant changes in how people connect, but it has also opened new avenues for criminal activities. In a shocking incident reported on June 18, 2026, a 44-year-old man from Surendranagar district in Gujarat fell victim to a sophisticated extortion scheme orchestrated through a gay dating app called Polo.
The victim, who remains anonymous, was allegedly befriended by a group of individuals through the app. What started as an innocent conversation quickly turned into a traumatizing ordeal that left him physically and emotionally scarred.
The Trap and the Assault
The accused, identified as Sahil ChauhanShakti BajiparaBhargav ParmarSameer KodiaFardeen ShaikhSameer Dewanand Ankit Tyagiallegedly gained the victim’s trust over several days of online chatting. They then invited him to meet at an abandoned house behind the Surendranagar Medical College.
Upon arrival, the victim found himself surrounded by the seven men. The group allegedly assaulted him, forcibly stripped him, and recorded obscene photographs and videos. The victim was then threatened with the release of the compromising material if he did not comply with their demands.
The Extortion and the Aftermath
The gang allegedly extorted Rs 31,000 in cash from the victim, threatening to circulate the footage on Social Media if he failed to comply or informed anyone about the incident. The victim, traumatized by the ordeal, eventually approached the police and lodged a complaint.
Based on the complaint, the police launched an investigation and, using technical surveillance and local intelligencetracked down and arrested all seven accused. The police also recovered the entire amount allegedly extorted from the victim.
The Repeat Offender
Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the accused, Shakti Bajiparais a repeat offender with a history of involvement in two serious honeytrap-related cases. This raises concerns about the prevalence of such crimes and the need for stricter measures to prevent them.
Investigators suspect that the gang may have used social media platforms and dating applications to identify and target victims before luring them to isolated locations and blackmailing them with compromising photographs and videos.
The incident highlights the dark side of digital dating and the importance of exercising caution when interacting with strangers online. It also underscores the need for law enforcement agencies to stay vigilant and adapt to new forms of cybercrime.
