The accused in police custody Bhubaneswar: Chandrasekharpur police on Thursday arrested a vegetable vendor for allegedly stalking girls on social media and sending them nude photographs after they accepted his friend requests. Police said the accused, Dipti Ranjan Sahoo (34), reportedly used social media platforms to contact and harass the victims.According to police officials, Sahoo allegedly created fake social media profiles, befriended girls online, and later blackmailed some of them after gaining their trust. He allegedly targeted victims by posing as a professional from different fields and using multiple fake identities.Police said his activities came to light after a 14-year-old girl lodged a complaint on Wednesday, alleging that she received obscene photographs from a man who had earlier connected with her through social media.Following the complaint from the minor girl, who is a Class VIII student, police officials analysed the accused’s digital footprints and gathered evidence linking him to the offence. During the examination of his mobile phone, police reportedly found several fake social media accounts created using his own photographs as well as pictures of other individuals. In some instances, photographs of young women were allegedly used to make the profiles appear genuine.“Sahoo’s modus operandi involved sending friend requests to girls while posing as a professional. Once the requests were accepted, he would engage them in conversations over several weeks and eventually obtain their phone numbers,” a senior police officer said. Officials suspect that at least a dozen girls came in contact with him believing the profiles to be authentic.Police said the accused allegedly developed personal relationships with some victims and even hired motorcycles to project a more affluent image while meeting them in person. After winning their confidence, he would make video calls, capture screenshots, and later use the material to intimidate and blackmail them.Police further suspect that some victims were coerced into transferring money to him. “The exact number of victims and the amount of money involved are being verified. His mobile phone will be sent for cyber forensic examination to uncover the extent of the operation,” another officer said.Police urged social media users, especially young women, to exercise caution while accepting friend requests from unknown persons and sharing personal information online.
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