In Bhubhneshwar, Hairdresser stabs himself multiple times with scissors following 'Sextortion' bid

Tragic events unfolded in Nayapalli, Bhubhneshwar, as a 40-year-old salon owner reportedly took his own life on Tuesday.

The individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, allegedly fell victim to an online sextortion scam, leading to extreme distress. Currently, he is fighting for his life in a private hospital.

According to sources, the salon owner had recently befriended an unidentified woman on a popular chat platform.

Over the course of a few days, this woman engaged in frequent video calls of a sexual nature, during which she obtained explicit footage of the victim.

Subsequently, she resorted to blackmail, demanding a monetary sum in exchange for not exposing the compromising material on social media.

Suresh Swain, an acquaintance of the victim, was quoted in a media report, stating, “I noticed he had been visibly upset for the past two days. When I inquired, he disclosed an unsettling video call he received from an unfamiliar woman. He explained that she had sent him explicit images and videos of himself, while threatening to make them viral unless he paid her a significant amount of money.”

The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at victim’s shop, where he was discovered lying in a pool of blood.

A neighboring shopkeeper saw him and promptly alerted the authorities. Initially, local residents suspected an assault by unknown assailants.

Prasant Muduli, another shopkeeper, recounted the events, saying, “We immediately rushed him to the hospital. On the way, he confessed that he had inflicted the wounds upon himself using a pair of scissors.”

While an official complaint is yet to be lodged, the Nayapalli police initiated an independent inquiry following reports of the incident.

Authorities are diligently working to ascertain the sequence of events. As part of their investigation, the police confiscated the victim’s mobile phone to verify the allegations of sextortion.

“Due to the victim’s critical condition in the intensive care unit, we have been unable to obtain his statement. However, one of his acquaintances informed us that he had been under immense stress due to a cyber scammer targeting him. It is possible that, out of fear of social stigma and harm to his reputation, he resorted to self-inflicted harm,” stated Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh.

When questioned about any previous complaints made by the victim against the unidentified cyber blackmailer, the police confirmed no such reports had been filed. Neither the cyber crime police station nor the Nayapalli police have received any formal complaint from the victim, as per police sources.

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Abhishek Awasthi