Man arrested for marrying, blackmailing 15 women with explicit videos

A 43-year-old man, Biranchi Narayan Nath, has been arrested in Odisha for allegedly marrying multiple women from different Indian states, creating explicit videos, and blackmailing them. Nath targeted widows and divorcees by posing as a railway or tax officer on matrimonial websites, according to Indian media reports.

Nath, who lives with his first wife and two children in Angul, created fake profiles on marriage websites, presenting himself as a high-ranking official. His victims were mainly middle-aged women, particularly widows and divorcees. His fraudulent activities came to light when a woman from Cuttack, who lost her husband in a 2022 road accident, reported him to the police.

The woman was searching for a new partner when Nath approached her on a matrimonial site in 2023, pretending to be a railway ticket inspector named Pravakar Srivastav. He emotionally manipulated her, convincing her to marry him. During their relationship, Nath secretly recorded explicit videos during video calls and later used them for blackmail.

"He exploited her both financially and physically for five months, extorting INR500,000 and 32 grams of gold," said a senior officer from the Odisha Crime Branch.

Further investigation revealed that Nath had been using fake identities to dupe at least 15 women from various states, including Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi. Several cases of cheating, forgery, and extortion have been registered against him across different states.

Police have recovered significant digital evidence, including private photos, videos, and fake IDs, which are being analysed to identify additional victims. Nath is facing charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including extortion, cheating, and forgery, as well as the Information Technology Act.