Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 21-year-old student from Bihar, pursuing BTech course in the city, had been on Grindr - a dating app for gay and bisexual men- for more than five years. Some time back, he was called to a secluded spot on Raisen Road for a date. As he reached the spot, five to six men with sticks surrounded him.

He was made to take off his shirt and was beaten up. His mobile was snatched from him and he was asked to pay Rs 3,000. He was threatened that his gay identity would be revealed to his family if he did not pay. He was told that they already have all the details about him. The student, who had only Rs 1,000 in his bank account, arranged Rs 2,500 from his friends and paid. The next day, he received a call demanding more money. The police refused to register his complaint without mentioning his identity in the FIR. Terrified, he went back to his native state and now comes here only to write examinations.

This is not an isolated case. About 100 incidents of gangs of anti-social elements blackmailing gay men, threatening to reveal their sexual orientation to their families and acquaintances, have come to light in last eight months. In another case, a 24-year-old gay male school teacher was lured to an under-construction building in TT Nagar where he was beaten with sticks. He somehow managed to escape. In yet another case, the video of a 20-year-old gay man was recorded while he was engaged in a sexual act with his partner. The threat of sending the video to his family was used to blackmail him.

Ankit Lakade, who runs a gay group, Support, said, “Gay men want to keep their sexual orientation secret and taking advantage, they are targeted by criminals and extortionists. The pattern is the same. They receive invites for a date on Grindr and land up in the clutches of blackmailers.” Most incidents that have come to their knowledge pertained to gay persons who are 20 to 30 years old, Ankit added.