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A 26-year-old software professional has been arrested for seeking sexual favours from his former girlfriend by threatening to leak her private pictures, police said.
Amir Hussain Faisal, 26, originally from Assam's Darrang district, worked at a private software company in Bengaluru, where he is said to have befriended his woman colleague two years ago.
They soon became close and started dating. When they got intimate, Faisal allegedly recorded their private moments without her knowledge. The relationship lasted a year-and-a-half. He later quit his job and left for Assam, according to police.
Faisal allegedly contacted the woman last month and sought sexual favours. He threatened to leak her private pictures if she rejected his demand. When the woman disagreed, he created fake Instagram accounts and posted her pictures that he had taken during their outings, police said.
He later sent her some of their private pictures and allegedly threatened to leak them. The woman filed a complaint at the HSR Layout police station.
A police officer close to the investigation said that they asked the woman to agree to meet Faisal so he could be caught red-handed.
"He called her to Chennai. We convinced her to go and sent a team with her," the officer said. "We weaved the plan and caught him in real-time from Chennai," he added.
CK Baba, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), said, "Women's safety is our top priority and we make all efforts to bail them out of such situations without revealing their identity. We encourage people to reach out to us during these sorts of incidents."
What to do if you are a victim of sextortion
Police say citizens should do the following if someone tries to blackmail them:
1. Reach out to the police. Swift action will be taken and guidance provided.
2. Preserve all the evidence such as threat messages, pictures and so on to ensure better conviction.
3. Share your ordeal with trusted individuals and seek emotional support.
4. In case of such a situation, avoid meeting the predator, especially at an unknown location.
5. Do not fall prey. Refuse to give sexual favours.
6. Explore legal options.