Gay men targeted for extortion and robbery via Tinder in Delhi, leading to hostage situations and financial loss

Summary

A gang in Delhi used the Tinder dating app to target gay men by pretending to share similar sexual preferences, leading to extortion, robbery, and hostage situations. The group, which included five individuals—Arjun (24), Nitin (23), Akash (24), Faizan (19), and a minor—arranged meetings with victims, then threatened and blackmailed them for money. One victim was taken to a house in Pratap Nagar, forced to strip, and robbed of Rs 1.25 lakh after being coerced into revealing his bank password. The victim was held hostage briefly before being released. Police tracked the gang using technical surveillance and local intelligence, recovering the victim’s stolen phone from Nitin, who is believed to be the main accused. The gang has confessed to the crime, and investigations are ongoing.