Police in Kukatpally have arrested a 23-year-old man on charges of online blackmail. He is accused of creating fake Facebook and Instagram profiles to deceive individuals and then threatening them with their intimate images.
Investigators stated that the accused, Kondabhattula Pavan Kumar, operated a total of 27 fake social media accounts. These included 13 Instagram accounts and 14 Facebook profiles.
Through these accounts, Pavan Kumar interacted with over 1,000 people. Police noted that he frequently used photographs of a woman from Kolkata, identifying her as 'Chandana'.
According to police, 82 individuals shared personal photographs or videos with these fabricated profiles. Pavan Kumar would engage victims in online conversations and persuade them to send private images.
He stored these images and videos on multiple phones and social media accounts. Subsequently, he would impersonate the woman's brother and threaten to make the material public or have his supposed sister file a police complaint, demanding money.
DCP (Charminar) Kiran Khare confirmed the arrest and stated that further investigation into the matter is underway.