Lucknow: A seemingly innocuous search for a room after arriving in Lucknow allegedly became a trap for unsuspecting travellers, as police on Sunday busted a gang accused of using Grindr, a dating app, to identify potential victims, lure them to secluded locations and extort money through digital payments.The gang members used to lure their potential targets with promises of accommodation near Charbagh and Aishbagh railway stations, and extort money through digital payments. According to DCP (west) Kamlesh Dixit, the gang primarily targeted outstation travellers arriving in Lucknow and looking for rooms. Members allegedly approached passengers at railway stations, offered to arrange accommodation and then took them to secluded locations.“There, victims were threatened, assaulted and blackmailed using private chats, photos or videos. They were forced to transfer money through UPI and Google Pay, after which their mobile phones were damaged to prevent them from seeking immediate help,” Dixit said. Investigators also suspect some victims were given intoxicant-laced water or soft drinks, causing them to lose consciousness.The case surfaced after Sudhakar Pal, a resident of Mau who had come to Lucknow for a Railway Group-D examination, lodged a complaint. Pal told police that after arriving at Aishbagh railway station by Kaifiat Express on Aug 10, he was approached by strangers offering accommodation. He was allegedly taken in a tempo towards Charbagh and then to an isolated spot, where he was assaulted and forced to make five Google Pay transactions.Police said his phone was damaged and he was allegedly made to consume an intoxicating substance, following which he lost consciousness. An FIR was registered at Bazar Khala police station. Police said the accused exploited Grindr’s location-based feature to identify nearby users. Investigators have recovered videos of other individuals and digital transaction records from the accused’s phones, indicating the possibility of more victims.Police identified Dhirendra Pratap Singh alias Dheeraj Singh (33) as the alleged mastermind. He allegedly posed as a lawyer and assured gang members of legal assistance if caught. Investigators said he distributed nearly 30% of the extorted money among accomplices. The other arrested accused are Raj alias Raj Verma, Nikhil Rawat, Abhijeet Rajput, Raj Rajput, Meraj Ahmed, Aditya Verma and Nisar Ahmed. Most are aged between 18 and 25 and were living in rented accommodations in Kamta, Chinhat.Acting on the complaint, Bazar Khala police analysed CCTV footage from railway stations and tracked digital transactions. The investigation led to the arrest of all eight accused near Aishbagh railway station at 1.54am on Aug 15.Police recovered two two-wheelers and mobile phones containing suspected evidence of digital money transfers. Further technical analysis is underway to identify additional victims and ascertain the full scale of the operation.
