A gang allegedly running a gay sex racket through an online app has been busted by Mumbai Police in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
The accused have been identified as Irfan Furkan Khan (26), Ahmad Farooq Shaikh (24), Imran Shafiq Shaikh (24), and Sohail (age unknown).
The police swooped in after receiving a complaint from someone who claimed that an objectionable video of him was posted on the app's social media platform.
Hasan Mulani, a senior police official, told the media on Wednesday: “We've arrested three people and busted a gang that was allegedly running a gay sex racket through an app."
"We've received a complaint from a person that five people thrashed him, took away cash, cards and posted an objectionable video of him on social media," he added.
According to media reports quoting police sources, the accused contacted members of the gay community through the mobile application “Grindr” and guaranteed them "strong young men for sex" at affordable rates at their office or home.
The four accused assaulted the victim – who apparently features in the clip – before stealing his mobile phone, debit card, and other valuables. The men then filmed the graphic video using the victim's mobile phone and threatened to post it online before demanding more money.
“Looking at the modus operandi of the accused, it is feared that more people have become victims of this gang,” the police official said.
The accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).