Delhi man cons 700 women on dating apps using pics of Brazilian model
New Delhi, Jan 4: Delhi Police has arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly scammed over 700 women after befriending them on dating applications by posing as a US-based model, officials said on Saturday.
The cyber police station of West district arrested Tushar Bisht on charges of exploiting online platforms such as Bumble and Snapchat to lure his victims, blackmail them using private photos and videos, and extort money, a statement issued by Delhi Police said.
"Posing as a US-based freelance model, the accused created fake identities using a virtual international mobile number and photographs of a Brazilian model," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Vichitra Veer, said in the statement.
Bisht used the fake profiles to connect with women aged between 18 and 30 years on various onlione dating platforms.
"His primary targets were users of Bumble, Snapchat and WhatsApp," the statement said.
The DCP said Bisht gained his victims' trust by engaging in conversations, and convinced them to share private and intimate images and videos.
"Once he obtained the content, he resorted to blackmail, threatening to leak the sensitive material online, or sell them to dark web unless the victims paid him," the DCP said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused interacted with over 500 women on Bumble and 200 others on Snapchat and WhatsApp, police said.
The accused's mobile phone contained incriminating evidence, including objectionable data of victims, a virtual mobile number, and details of financial transactions involving extortion.
The police also seized 13 credit cards linked to various banks, the statement said.
The matter came to light on December 13, last year, when a Delhi University student filed a complaint with the cyber police station claiming that she had connected with the accused on Bumble earlier in the year.
Posing as a US-based model visiting India for work, he gained her trust through consistent chats.
As their interactions deepened, the accused persuaded her to share private photos and videos on Snapchat and WhatsApp. Despite repeated requests to meet in person, he always evaded with excuses, the DCP said.
"The situation escalated when the accused sent her a private video she had shared, and demanded money. Pressured, the victim made small payments, citing her financial constraints. However, the relentless demands drove her to inform her family and lodge a complaint," the DCP said.
After registering an FIR, a special team was formed which identified Bisht as the perpetrator and tracked him to Shakarpur in east Delhi. A raid was conducted, leading to his arrest, the statement said.
Revealing the modus operandi, the DCP said during interrogation, Bisht admitted to using a virtual international mobile number for over two years, which he obtained through an app. Using this number, he registered on dating and chatting platforms, projecting himself as a glamorous model.
His fake profiles included fabricated stories and photographs to make them appear authentic.
Once he established connection with his victims, he persuaded them to share intimate content.
"Initially, he did this for amusement but later he turned it into a calculated scheme to extort money. He confessed to possessing private content of numerous women and blackmailing several of them for financial gains," Vichitra Veer said in the statement.
Bisht hails from a middle-class family based out of Shakarpur. His father works as a private driver, his mother is a homemaker, while his sister is employed in Gurugram.
A graduate with a BBA degree, Bisht was working as a technical recruiter at a Noida-based private firm for the past three years.
Police said the investigation has uncovered chats with more than 60 women from Delhi and nearby areas. Two bank accounts linked to the accused have also been identified, one of which showed multiple transactions from victims, while details of the second account are awaited.
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BrahMos proof of continuity in governance which cannot be denied: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): With focus on India's defence arsenal, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said the BrahMos missile is a remarkable proof of continuity in governance which simply cannot be denied or erased, "despite it being the regular habit of today's ruling establishment".
Ramesh said the BrahMos missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 and Indian Army in 2007, while the air-launched variant of BrahMos appeared in 2012, all during Manmohan Singh's tenure.
"It was his leadership that led to the historic Indo-US nuclear agreement of 2005, paving the way for India finally joining the Missile Technology Control Regime eleven years later. It was also during his tenure that the BrahMos Integration Complex in Hyderabad and the Brahmos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited were established," the Congress general secretary said on X.
"BrahMos is very much in the news these days. It is named after the Brahmaputra and the Moskva rivers and is an outstanding example of Indo-Russian collaboration. It is also yet another remarkable proof of continuity in governance which simply cannot be denied or erased - despite it being the regular habit of today's ruling establishment in New Delhi," he said, taking a swipe at the Modi government.
Noting that India's Integrated Missile Development Programme began in 1983, Ramesh said it has had great successes.
Sometime in the mid-90s, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and his colleagues like Dr. Sivathanu Pillai felt the need for collaboration with the Russians for supersonic cruise missiles, he said.
"An inter-governmental agreement was signed on February 12, 1998 when IK Gujral was PM. Incidentally he was India's Ambassador to the USSR 1976-80. Thereafter the first contract was signed on July 9, 1999, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was PM. The first successful launch took place on June 12, 2001," he said.
The BrahMos headquarters complex that includes design, simulation and aerospace knowledge facilities was inaugurated in New Delhi on December 4, 2004 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ramesh said.
"Thereafter the missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 and Indian Army in 2007. The air-launched variant of BrahMos appeared in 2012. All this was when Dr. Manmohan Singh was PM," he said.
His remarks come days after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect after four days of cross-border strikes that triggered fears of a wider conflict.
