Three Bengaluru youths have been arrested by the Parappana Agrahara police for allegedly blackmailing a Mumbai-based model using pictures and video found on a phone stolen from her boyfriend based in the city, reported Suvarna News.

According to the report, a fashion designing student reported that his mobile phone had gone missing on Hosur Road near Singasandra on October 14. The trio who stole the mobile phone soon sold it off, but kept the phone’s memory card with them. Finding certain private pictures and videos on the memory card of the phone owner’s girlfriend, the trio hatched a plan to make some money by blackmailing her.

They, therefore, sent her a message telling her that they had come into possession of the photos and video and told her to pay them Rs 1 lakh. If she failed to do so, they threatened to release the material on social media and ruin her reputation.

TV9 reported that the trio continued to send the model threatening and abusive messages. Three days ago, the trio gave her a deadline of two days to pay them the money failing which the video would be released. The woman immediately informed her boyfriend who told the police on December 1 that they were being blackmailed.

The police told the Bengaluru student to lure the blackmailers to a spot with promise of payment, where they nabbed them.

TV9 reported that the three accused are students of Business Management, Commerce and Civil Engineering in Bengaluru. While police believe that this was the first involvement in crime for all three, they are investigating whether any of them had any criminal antecedents.