Nagpur: Mankapur police have arrested five youths for allegedly luring a man through a gay dating application, abducting him, robbing him of cash and valuables, and threatening him against approaching the police.
According to police, the incident occurred in the early hours of June 22, 2026. The complainant was returning home from work on his Activa scooter (MH-49-CU-2622) at around 12.30 am when one of the accused, introduced through Polo – Gay Dating App met him near Mankapur Square.
After travelling a short distance, the accused allegedly called his accomplices. The group then forcibly took the complainant’s scooter keys, ATM card and mobile phone. The victim was allegedly made to ride around several locations, including SBI Bank near Mankapur Square, Gorewada Square, Bharatwada Road, a railway track area, RBI Square petrol pump, Tidke Vidyalaya, Sadar Cantonment and Rajnagar.
During the ordeal, the accused allegedly abused and threatened the complainant and forced him to contact his acquaintances and ask for money on false pretexts. Acting on his requests, the victim’s acquaintances transferred a total of ₹10,000 in three transactions into his bank account.
The accused then allegedly withdrew the money using the complainant’s ATM card. They also took him to various places, smashed his mobile phone with a stone and threatened to implicate him in false criminal cases if he approached the police.
Based on the complaint, Mankapur Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 310(2), 115(2), 351(2) and 352, pertaining to robbery and related offences.
During the investigation, police found that one of the accused had been in regular contact with the complainant through Polo – Gay Dating App and had invited him to meet near Mankapur Square. After the victim arrived, the accused got onto his scooter and headed towards Gorewada Square, where the remaining accomplices joined him and allegedly carried out the robbery and extortion.
Five accused arrested
Based on the victim’s information, police formed three separate investigation teams. CCTV footage from the routes and locations connected to the crime, along with inputs from confidential informants, led to the identification and arrest of the accused Mohammad Sheikh Jakri Mohammad Sheikh Farooq (23), resident of Anant Nagar, Rathod Layout, Gittikhadan, Kunal Dilip Manjarkhede (19), resident of Pension Nagar, Gittikhadan, Shoaib Ali Sultan Ali Syed (23), resident of Gautam Nagar, Katol Road, Faran Faiyan Khan (21), resident of Kamgar Nagar, Gittikhadan and
Shijan Sheikh Fakruddin Ali Ahmed (21), resident of Anant Nagar, Police Line Takli.
Police said all five accused confessed to their involvement in the crime and their participation was corroborated by CCTV footage. They have been formally arrested.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal, Joint Commissioner Navinchandra Reddy, Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region) Vinita Sahu, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Annapurna Singh and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Sadar Division) Suhas Jagtap. The case was solved by a team from Mankapur Police Station, led by Senior Police Inspector Haresh Kalsekar, along with PSI Rohan Patil, PSI Bharat Kamble, and other police personnel.
Nagpur Police have appealed to citizens, stating that the arrested accused allegedly targeted multiple individuals by contacting them through the Polo App and other dating applications, inviting them to meetings and then allegedly abusing, assaulting and extorting money and valuables from them. Police believe that some victims may not have reported the incidents due to fear of social stigma or defamation. Such individuals have been urged to contact Mankapur Police Station.
