Minor Blackmailed With Smoking Video in Karnataka, Accused Arrested and Gold Recovered

Kushtagi police have arrested two persons for allegedly blackmailing a minor boy with a video of him smoking and coercing him into handing over gold jewellery weighing about 130 grams. 

The accused have been identified as Basavaraj and Naveen. Police said the entire quantity of gold allegedly obtained from the boy has been recovered from them. 

Police told media that the accused initially befriended the boy at small eateries where they would often meet and have food together. 

They later allegedly taught him to smoke cigarettes



and recorded a video of the act. The duo is said to have threatened to show the footage to the boy's parents and used it to blackmail him for money.

Fearing that the video would be revealed to his family, the boy initially took cash from his house and handed it over to the accused. However, as his family closely monitored the household cash, he later began taking gold ornaments from the house and giving them to the duo. 

Police said the boy continued to do so for nearly one-and-a-half years, eventually handing over around 13 tolas (about 130 grams) of gold jewellery.