Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad Witness Rise In Dating App Scams Targeting Gay Men

Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have reported multiple cases where people have been attacked, blackmailed, sexually abused and robbed by individuals they met on various gay dating apps.

In a recent incident, Sujal Sunil Mankar (21) jumped to his death from the elevated Sant Tukaram Nagar Metro station after being blackmailed over his nude photos. According to the police, a week before the suicide, the accused students called Mankar, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) degree at Dr DY Patil College in Pimpri, to a room at Maheshnagar. There, he was forced to remove his clothes and his nude photographs were taken. Later, the accused demanded money to prevent the photographs from being uploaded on social media. Mankar paid ₹35,000 of the ₹50,000 demanded but was under pressure to pay the remaining amount, which eventually led to his suicide. The police added that the prime accused had created a profile on a gay dating app, through which he befriended Mankar and lured him to the room.

In another incident, a 23-year-old MCA student was also blackmailed and extorted by the same group of accused students involved in Mankar’s death. He had written a letter to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissioner’s Office, detailing that his complaint wasn’t taken at the Sant Tukaram Nagar Police Station. “I am constantly thinking of ending my life … If I end my life, the accused mentioned in this letter and police officers who did not take my complaint should be held responsible…,” he wrote.

‘Most of the cases can be handled by not being scared’

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Shyam Konnur, founder and CEO of Mist LGBTQ Foundation, said they get support calls every alternate day. “Most of the cases can be handled by not being scared, but because the community is vulnerable, they fall into the trap. We work directly with Grinder and provide pop-ups with resource links for users to reach out during a crisis. However, there are many other apps where scammers exist. We also refer and collaborate with other NGOs across India when we receive crisis calls. Pune Police have been supportive when we reach out to them in most of the cases,” he added.

‘Take precautions and prioritise safety before using dating apps’

Anil Malla, Senior Associate at QueerBazaar, emphasised the importance of taking precautions and prioritising safety before using dating apps. “Prioritising safety in online dating is crucial, particularly within the queer community. It is essential to take precautions, such as informing friends or close ones about meeting plans, sharing locations, meeting in public spaces, trusting one’s intuition and protecting personal information. Saving relevant NGO helpline numbers is also advisable,” he said.

Bindumadhav Khire, Director, Bindu Queer Rights Foundation (Pune), also highlighted that the LGBT community should lessons from these cases and take precautions. “Despite being aware of the rampant extortion of gay men via dating apps, and despite knowing the potential dangers of bringing a stranger to your room or getting into a stranger’s car or going to an unknown location with a stranger, the closeted gay community refuses to learn any lesson. They refuse to take precautions, and refuse to approach the police when they are assaulted or become victims of extortion,” he said.

‘Sensitisating police officers a must’

Anil Ukrande, founder, YUTAK LGBTQ Trust, stated that such cases can be addressed by sensitisating police officers and creating awareness within the community. “We appeal to all community members to stand against any form of violence and raise your voices,” he added.

Manasvi Goilkar, founder, Shikhandi Trust, stressed that police must investigate such cases properly once an FIR is filed. “Last year, over eight such cases were lodged, but no one was arrested. Besides, many victims do not file complaints out of fear that their identity and sexuality will be revealed. The criminals take advantage of this,” she said. Teju Punekar, a social activist and fashion designer, mentioned that she knew some of the people who were blackmailed recently. “But out of shame, they did not report it to the police,” she said.

Prof R Raj Rao added, “The new edition of my book ‘Criminal Love: Theory and Praxis of Queerness in India’ has a final chapter titled ‘The Decriminalisation of Section 377 and its Aftermath.’ It includes articles I’ve written since the September 2018 decriminalisation, showing how very little has changed, despite the scrapping of Section 377 by the Supreme Court. The thugs looting and blackmailing LGBT persons is a continuation of this. It happened before and will continue to happen because mindsets don’t change with the law. Thugs exploit the perception that we are still viewed as criminals, and they know they can get away with it because of the heterosexual mainstream, and even the police, who often side with them. Despite civic awareness, little is done to address this.”

‘Stringent laws needed’

Anish Gawande, national spokesperson, NCP-SP, said such cases must be taken seriously by both the police and the government. “The first step is to sensitise police officers so they do not blame victims in such scenarios. Similar to measures taken after the Nirbhaya case, ensuring that rape victims are treated with dignity in police stations should be applied here, so LGBT complainants are not discriminated against. This is a global challenge, and the government can support awareness campaigns to ensure young people using dating apps are informed of the dangers of meeting strangers in unknown locations. While stringent laws like BNS 318 exist to punish offenders, they must be strengthened to ensure repeat offenders face justice,” he added.

Meanwhile, a senior police official, speaking to this newspaper on condition of anonymity, said they are monitoring the criminals involved in these cases. “They will soon be arrested and face strict punishment. However, the gay community also needs to be more cautious and aware when befriending others on dating apps,” he added.