New Delhi: A blind date arranged through a dating application allegedly turned into an extortion incident in north Delhi, with a cafe owner and his employee arrested for reportedly forcing a customer to pay Rs 26,000 under threat.
The incident occurred on November 1 when a 38-year-old man connected with a woman identifying herself as Sanya through a dating app. She invited him to meet near GTB Nagar Metro Station between 6.30 pm and 7 pm before taking him to Black Panthar Cafe in Hudson Lane, Mukherjee Nagar.
According to police, the woman ordered several food items and alcoholic beverages, including whisky. The customer was subsequently handed a handwritten bill of approximately Rs 26,000. When he questioned the charges, the cafe owner and employees allegedly pressured him to settle the amount immediately.
The situation reportedly escalated when three to four people prevented him from leaving and threatened him over the unpaid bill. Under pressure, the man contacted his father, who transferred the money online.
Police said the initial transaction attempts using the cafe owner’s QR code were unsuccessful. The customer eventually made the payment through another QR code displaying the name Naveen Rajput. He was allowed to leave after the transaction.
The woman allegedly switched off her phone and became unreachable soon after the incident. The victim subsequently informed his father, who alerted the police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Akanksha Yadav said investigators established the involvement of the accused before arresting them. The arrested individuals have been identified as Javed, the cafe owner, and Anuj Kumar, 24. Both are residents of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Police are continuing their investigation to trace the woman, identified as Sanya alias Nikita, and establish whether others were involved in the alleged dating app scam.
