Instant loan app gang busted by Gurugram cyber police, 9 arrested

A gang involved in extorting money by providing instant loans to people through an online app was busted by cyber police, officials said on Thursday.

Police arrested nine persons of the gang, including three owners and a manager of the app, they said.

They allegedly extorted money from those who did not repay the loans by morphing their photos and threatening to upload them on social media platforms, police said.

Police have recovered eight mobiles, four CPUs and a box of SIM cards from their possession, they added.

According to police, a woman filed a complaint on April 3 that she had availed a loan of Rs 3,000 through an online app, Finsara.

As she was not able to pay the loan on time, the loan app company harassed her by posting “dirty posts” on her Facebook and repeatedly posting “objectionable photos” on WhatsApp, she said in the complaint.

They threatened to send the photos to her family members if she did not pay the money, she added.

Police said based on the complaint, a case was registered under relevant sections at Cyber Crime (West) Police Station.

A team led by SHO Naveen Kumar busted the gang and arrested the nine accused from Udyog Vihar area last late night.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HIGH COURT:

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, through its order dated 9th September 2024, quashed all FIRs filed against the individuals in question.

The court observed that the disputes between the parties had been "amicably resolved and were private in nature, with no broader societal impact".

In particular, the HC emphasized the propriety of quashing proceedings under Section 482 of the CrPC, "given the educational backgrounds, good reputations, and lack of criminal history of the individuals involved"