Bengaluru woman accuses Facebook friend of blackmail, assault and extortion: Report

A Bengaluru woman alleged extortion and assault by Smaroop Gowda, who allegedly swindled her of over ₹17 lakh after threatening to leak her private videos.

A 32-year-old woman in Bengaluru has accused a man of extortion, physical assault, and threats of leaking her private videos, after he allegedly swindled her of more than ₹17 lakh.

Bengaluru police have filed charges against Gowda for cheating, harassment, and intimidation, while investigating his associates' involvement. (Photo for representation)(HT_PRINT)

Police said the woman came into contact with the accused, identified as Smaroop Gowda, through Facebook in 2022. Their interactions soon shifted offline, and the two began meeting regularly, a report by the NDTV stated. During this period, Gowda allegedly told her he was struggling with a court case and requested financial assistance. Trusting him, she transferred ₹4.42 lakh.

Investigators said Gowda later resorted to intimidation, threatening to release her intimate videos if she did not pay him more. Under pressure, she transferred another ₹12.82 lakh to him, the report said.

When the woman attempted to reclaim her money, Gowda allegedly ignored her calls. In her complaint, she further stated that he violently dragged her by the hair and kicked her near the Sunkadakatte bus stop, the report added.

The matter escalated in August this year when some of Gowda’s associates allegedly approached her with an offer of ₹2 lakh to settle the dispute. They also warned her not to go to the police or pursue legal action and threatened her with severe consequences if she disobeyed, the report further stated.

Based on her complaint, police have booked Gowda for offences including cheating, harassment, assault, and criminal intimidation, while also investigating his associates’ role. The woman has sought recovery of the money she lost in addition to strict action against the accused, said the report.

HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.