Ahmedabad: A man allegedly posing as a police officer extorted Rs 10,000 from a young man and a woman at the Sabarmati Riverfront in the early hours of Saturday by threatening to circulate their photographs on social media and among their family members. The accused was later arrested by Sabarmati Riverfront (West) police.According to a complaint, the 23-year-old complainant and a woman known to him arrived at the riverfront on a motorcycle around 4.15am. After parking near the Skyline parking area, they went for a walk and later sat on a ledge near the walkway behind the aerodrome.The complaint states that a man approached them, identified himself as a police officer and claimed he had taken their photographs. He allegedly seized their mobile phones and threatened to file a police complaint and share their pictures with family members and on social media platforms.When the two pleaded with him not to do so, the accused allegedly abused them and demanded Rs 10,000 in exchange for not circulating the photographs. He also told the complainant to borrow money from friends if he did not have sufficient funds.The complainant subsequently received Rs 6,000 from a friend and transferred the amount through Google Pay. He allegedly paid the remaining Rs 4,000 from his own account by scanning a QR code displayed on the accused’s mobile phone.After receiving the money, the accused allegedly threatened to kill the pair if they disclosed the incident to anyone and then left the spot.Following inquiries in the area, the complainant identified the accused as Mohammad Hussain Shaikh, a resident of Gomtipur. He later approached the police with a friend and lodged a complaint.Sabarmati Riverfront (West) police arrested Shaikh and are investigating whether he was involved in similar extortion cases targeting visitors at the riverfront.
