Bihar Model Duped by Fake Film Producers, Blackmailed with Morphed Photos
The DN Nagar police have registered an case against four suspects for allegedly blackmailing an aspiring model from Bihar with morphed photos under the pretense of offering her a role in a web series.
The accused reportedly took money from the victim through online means and later threatened to make her morphed photos viral on social media if she failed to send more money.
According to the police, the victim, Ratanpriya Amit Singh, originally from Bihar, is currently pursuing an engineering degree at a college in Panvel. She received a WhatsApp message on June 11 from an individual identifying himself as 'Bhavesh' who claimed to be a producer associated with 'GM Studio'. "He mentioned a director named Rahul Patel and offered her a role in an upcoming web series," police said.
Believing the offer to be genuine, Ratanpriya shared her portfolio, Instagram handle, and YouTube links with Bhavesh. He continued in communication with her over the next few days, discussing the project’s storyline. He also introduced her to a man named Shivam Agarwal, supposedly her co-actor.
Messages from an Instagram account named 'Shivam Jay' further reinforced the appearance of a legitimate production. Bhavesh then asked her to transfer ₹2,000 for flight arrangements, followed by additional demands of ₹7,836, citing ticketing and a medical emergency. The payments were made through Google Pay to an India Post Payments Bank account, police said.
According to the complaint, the accused later became friendly with the model and extorted more money with false promises.
Shaken and fearing for her safety and reputation, Ratanpriya approached the DN Nagar Police and filed a complaint. She has named Bhavesh, Shivam Agarwal, and other unidentified persons as accused.
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
They have begun an investigation and are examining all digital evidence.
