45-year-old man dies by suicide over sextortion threat in Thane district
Thane (PTI): A 45-year-old man died by suicide in Maharashtra's Thane district after allegedly being blackmailed by cyber criminals who threatened to circulate morphed obscene photographs of him on social media, police said on Sunday.
A probe has revealed that the victim, a resident of Kalyan East, was forced to transfer large sums of money in the months leading up to his death in January, they said.
Hemant Dayashankar Pandey hanged himself at his house in Kalyan East on January 7, he said.
According to the complaint filed by the victim's elder brother, he was being threatened by an unknown person, who claimed to have collected and created obscene images of him.
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An analysis of the victim's mobile phone revealed that he was under pressure to arrange for Rs 2 lakh, and he reportedly asked his brother for Rs 1.6 lakh.
"Emails sent to the deceased contained morphed obscene pictures. The sender was demanding money and threatening to defame him on social media," the official said.
He said the victim had transferred large sums of money between April 2025 and January 2026, and his family claimed that his inability to meet the escalating extortion demands caused him to take the extreme step.
A case has been registered against unidentified persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, and a probe is underway, the official said.
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Renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai passes away at 83
New Delhi (PTI): Raghu Rai, one of India's best known photographers whose lens captured India in its many shades, died at a private hospital here in the early hours of Sunday. He was 83.
“Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago but he was cured. Then it spread to the stomach, that too was cured. Recently the cancer spread to his brain and then there were age related issues too,” Nitin Rai, photographer and Rai’s son, told PTI.
He is survived by wife Gurmeet, son Nitin and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai.
The last rites will be performed at Lodhi Crematorium at 4pm on Sunday.
