Digital extortion racket busted: Trio arrested for blackmailing Uttarakhand restaurateur with faked ‘Cockroach’ video

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Police have dismantled a sophisticated extortion ring operating via social media, arresting three youths from Haryana who allegedly blackmailed a restaurant owner in Srinagar Garhwal. The accused were targeting the business owner by threatening to sabotage his reputation with a manufactured video of unhygienic food.

The investigation began after the victim, S.K. Jain, filed a formal complaint at the Srinagar police station. According to the police report, the suspects orchestrated a smear campaign, claiming they had found a cockroach in their meal during a visit to the restaurant in November 2025.