HT Digital,
Guwahati, Feb 28: The Chandmari Police in Guwahati busted a significant extortion racket on Wednesday. The operation, masterminded by a woman posing as a media worker, involved a group of people. They came to light on Tuesday when they attempted to blackmail and extort money using footage from a spa in Guwahati’s Rajgarh locality.
Prime suspect Rumi Nayak was apprehended by the police while she was making a public declaration of her innocence. Following the revelation of the racket, all involved parties fled. The spa owner had filed a complaint against the group at the Chandmari Police Station in Guwahati, citing that 10 to 15 individuals had entered the spa and recorded visuals.
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This led to an investigation by the Chandmari Police. CCTV footage from around the spa revealed the group, posing as reporters, entering the spa in separate groups and unlawfully obtaining footage.
This was later used to blackmail the spa owner. The CCTV timestamps showed that several people entered the spa at around 5:23 pm. At 5:26 pm, Rumi Nayak, the main suspect, entered with a DSLR camera. Approximately 10 minutes later, at 5:36 pm, 14 people were seen leaving the spa premises.
Chandmari Police have registered an FIR number 48/24 with six non-bailable offences linked to a case involving an extensive list of alleged perpetrators. The offences, under sections 120(b), 143, 384, 354(a), 354(c), and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), are related to a scheme led by prime suspect Rumi Nayak.
Nayak, an employee for four online news portals in Assam, and her gang members are reported to have impersonated customers and journalists to extort money from spa parlours and businesses in Guwahati’s Fancy Bazar.
The gang members, identified as being from Hajo and Mukalmua in Assam, have previously engaged in similar activities. Police are currently searching for two of the gang members, Amarjyoti Deka and Rubul Barman. During interrogation, Nayak confessed to her involvement in the crimes and mentioned that business organisations often hired her services to eliminate competition.
She also implicated another individual, Farooque Ahmed, in the crimes. The police, armed with substantial information, are expected to make an imminent arrest in Guwahati’s Bonda area. They have also uncovered Facebook pages run by the accused, which were used to demand money.
An unidentified person, previously a participant in elections via independent candidacy support, is anticipated to be arrested soon. Concurrently, Rumi Nayak was escorted by police for a medical examination, followed by a tour of various Guwahati locations relevant to the case.
Nayak’s residence in Boragaon, Guwahati was subsequently searched, leading to the discovery of a DSLR camera. Said camera, sources reveal, housed visuals Nayak allegedly used for blackmail. Arrests of other implicated gang members are projected in the near future.
