Online stalker arrested for blackmailing girls in Hyderabad

Identified as Palakurthi Ajay (19), he used to create fake Instagram accounts and targeted girls including minors by threatening to upload their private pictures on social media.

Last month, Cyber Crime Police received a complaint that a minor girl had been harassed and blackmailed on Instagram.

The victim was getting messages from various Instagram IDs. Later the accused texted the victim from his account "rafipasha" over Instagram and blackmailed her to pay money. The victim accepted and paid an amount of Rs.3,000. Later she was asked to pay Rs.6000.

Based on the crime report, a case was registered under Section. 67 of IT Act, Section 354 (D), 384, 507 of IPC and POCSO Act in Cyber Crime Police Station and is under investigation.

The accused usually approaches innocent girls on social media accounts and requests them to share their nude videos. He used to create fake Instagram accounts in different names and used to send friend requests to innocent girls including minors.

Once the friend request was accepted, he used to chat and motivate them to send private pictures. Subsequently, he was blackmailing them.