Kathmandu, January 13

Police today apprehended two persons for allegedly using fake social media accounts with female names to befriend, lure and blackmail businesspersons in Kathmandu.

The duo Bikram Gyawali, 23, of Dailekh, and Kevin KC, 22, from Dhapasi, Kathmandu  was held by Metropolitan Police Crime Division from the premises of Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Maharajgunj.

In one instance, they had managed to cheat Roshan Gupta of India, currently operating a fancy store at Mahabouddha, of Rs 55,000.

“The duo opened a fake Facebook account under the name of ‘Subashna Gautam’ with a girl’s picture as a honey-trap and sent a friend request to Gupta.

After Gupta ‘fell in love’ with the ‘girl’ said Gautam, Gyawali and KC approached Gupta masquerading as the girl’s brothers and demanded Rs 55,000 from him for medical treatment or else they would file a case against him with the police,” said an MPCD police officer.

The duo had blackmailed Gupta, saying that ‘Subashna’ had cut her hands with blade to express ‘her love’ for him. They had cheated him of a combined Rs 417,000 over a period of one month.

As they continued to extort and blackmail him under the cloak of ‘Subashna’s brothers’ and demanded Rs 200,000 more for ‘her treatment’, Gupta sought the help of police to deliver justice to him.

Police confiscated Rs 253,000, a gold chain and three smart phone sets from them.

Gyawali and KC have been sent to Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu for further investigation of their involvement in other blackmail cases.

If found guilty, they will liable to pay Rs 100,000 in fine or five years in jail or both under Article 47 of the Electronic Transactions Act-2008.