NRI tries to extort Rs 1.8 cr using nude photos, arrested
CHENNAI: A 51-year-old Non-Resident Indian (NRI) was arrested here for threatening a girl with her nude pictures and demanding Rs 1.87 crore ($250,000) for not circulating them on social media.
The accused, V Ramesh (51) of Porur, has been settled in the US since 1994 and often visits his kin in the city. Ramesh’s wife and the victim’s mother Saraswathi (name changed) were friends for over two decades. Ramesh had helped the victim during her college education in the US in 2019. Police said the accused could have captured the pictures when the victim was undergoing treatment for mental health issues there.
Police said that the victim’s parents had borrowed Rs 50 lakh from Ramesh in 2020 to buy a house. Ramesh, who was in urgent need of money to fund his son’s education, returned to the city on November 6 and asked them to return the money. As they refused to reimburse the sum immediately, Ramesh became infuriated. After returning home, he sent the obscene pictures to the victim as well as her mother from an international phone number posing as an anonymous person. He demanded $250,000 (approximately Rs 1.87 crore) to not circulate them on social media.
Saraswathi immediately lodged a complaint at TP Chathiram police station and a case was registered. The officials found out that it was Ramesh who sent the photos and secured him. Police said the victim’s family was shocked as they did not expect that the offender to be their family friend. Ramesh was remanded in judicial custody on Sunday.
Since victim’s family could not repay Rs. 50 lakh, Ramesh posed as anonymous person and sent the girl’s photo to her and her mom