Bengaluru, Sept. 30 -- A 32-year-old woman in Bengaluru has accused a man of extortion, physical assault, and threats of leaking her private videos, after he allegedly swindled her of more than Rs.17 lakh.

Police said the woman came into contact with the accused, identified as Smaroop Gowda, through Facebook in 2022. Their interactions soon shifted offline, and the two began meeting regularly, a report by the NDTV stated. During this period, Gowda allegedly told her he was struggling with a court case and requested financial assistance. Trusting him, she transferred Rs.4.42 lakh.

Investigators said Gowda later resorted to intimidation, threatening to release her intimate videos if she did not pay him more. Under pressure, she transferre...