Two Suspects Remanded in AJK Blackmail Case Involving Woman’s Death
In a significant development in Sudhnoti district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), a judicial magistrate on Monday remanded two suspects into police custody for a week following their arrest in a case of blackmail and extortion involving a married woman.
A first information report (FIR) was filed at Baloch Police Station on Saturday under various sections of the Azad Penal Code, including obscene material, manslaughter, extortion, and violations related to privacy. The case also includes provisions under the Offence of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance, 1979.
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The complainant, Arshad Mahmood, a resident of Kehala village currently working in Saudi Arabia, reported a shocking series of events beginning on November 15, when he was informed of his wife’s sudden hospitalization due to a critical health issue. Shortly after, he learned from his brother-in-law that his wife had passed away. Mahmood returned home the following day for her burial.
Upon investigating the circumstances surrounding her sudden death, Mahmood discovered that two men had formed illicit relations with his wife over the past two months. According to the FIR, the suspects recorded compromising video footage of the woman during calls, which they used to blackmail her into providing them with money and other valuables.
Mahmood reported that his wife handed over more than Rs 3 million to the suspects, including Rs 976,000 from selling her jewelry. Despite complying with the repeated demands, the woman was still subject to threats and extortion, ultimately leading to her suicide by poison.
Baloch Police Station SHO Waqar Azeem confirmed that the suspects were arrested the same night following an investigation using local intelligence and technology. The preliminary investigation revealed that one suspect, a neighbor of Mahmood, had shared the woman’s contact details with the second suspect, leading to the extortion plot.
The second suspect reportedly initiated contact with the victim and recorded compromising videos, which were later used to extort money. On October 19, the second suspect impersonated a third blackmailer, using an unknown SIM card and a local dialect to demand Rs 2 million, threatening to release the videos if his demands were not met.
Unable to meet the extortion demands, the woman reportedly sold her jewelry and handed over Rs 976,000 to the second suspect on October 20. Days later, he demanded an additional Rs 1.5 million, which the woman could not arrange.
SHO Azeem explained that the woman sought financial assistance from her relatives under the pretense that her husband needed the money in Saudi Arabia. Unable to fulfill the extortion demands, the woman tragically committed suicide.
Police have recovered incriminating evidence, including the compromising footage, from the suspects’ mobile phones. They have been booked under the relevant sections of the FIR, and further investigation is expected to reveal more details.
SHO Azeem assured that justice will be sought for the victim and her family as the investigation progresses.
