A 44-year-old garment trader had been victimised by an unknown man, who extorted him of Rs 30 lakh over almost two years. The accused, who goes by the name Rakeebul, had somehow gotten hold of private photographs of the trader and his wife. He then said he would release them online if he didn’t receive money. He also threatened to kill the couple’s teenage daughter.

According to the police, the complainant’s wife had found him in a disturbed state of mind with a dip in appetite over the past few days. When she asked him whether it was due to a business matter, he refused to speak. Eventually, his wife found a book in which details about transactions into various accounts since 2021 were found. When she asked her husband about it, he broke down and said that someone had been extorting him.