A chilling incident has emerged from Varanasi where a 57-year-old doctor was extorted of ₹8 lakh after meeting a man he connected with on a gay dating app. According to his complaint, the meeting took place at a hotel under Sigra police station on July 20, when the accused - identified as Vikas - arrived with beer after chatting online on Grindr. As the doctor undressed, Vikas secretly took nude photos and videos, threatened violence with broken glass, and demanded large sums, citing political-criminal connections.

The terrified doctor transferred ₹8 lakh via UPI, ATM, and bank transfers over two days. He then filed an FIR under sections for extortion and voluntarily causing hurt, prompting Sigra police to launch an immediate manhunt and analyze CCTV footage and financial trails. The case underlines serious safety risks in online dating, especially amid societal stigma, and serves as a stark reminder to practice extreme caution.