Bhubaneswar, July 13: A 40-year-old salon owner in Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, allegedly stabbed himself multiple times on Tuesday, July 11, reportedly succumbing to the stress of becoming a target of an online sextortion fraud. According to the Time of India report, the victim, now battling for his life in a private hospital, had developed a friendship with an unknown woman on a popular chat site, who subsequently engaged in nude video calls with him and blackmailed him for money, while threatening to release the compromising material on social media platforms.

Observing the victim's distress over the past few days, Suresh Swain, an acquaintance, shared that he confided in them about the situation, highlighting the toll it had taken on his mental health. ICC Falls Victim to Cybercrime, Loses Around Rs 20 Crore in Online Money Fraud; Investigation Underway.

On Tuesday afternoon, the salon owner was discovered lying in a pool of blood inside his shop. Initially mistaken as a victim of a criminal attack, it was revealed that the victim had inflicted the wounds upon himself using a pair of scissors. Prompt action from a neighbouring shopkeeper, who found him and raised the alarm, led to his immediate transport to the hospital.  New Online Scam Alert! Man Made To Invest Money in Fake Crypto Platform After Accepting Part-Time Job Offer, Duped of Rs 5 Lakh; Here's How Scamsters Executed the Fraud.

The Nayapalli police initiated a suo motu inquiry upon learning about the incident. Authorities are now focused on investigating the circumstances surrounding the event and determining the reasons that drove the victim to such extreme measures. The victim's mobile phone has been confiscated to verify the allegations of sextortion.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Prateek Singh, acknowledged that the victim's statement could not be recorded due to his critical condition in the intensive care unit. However, an acquaintance revealed that the salon owner had been under immense stress after falling victim to a cyber scam. Fear of social stigma and damaging his reputation may have contributed to his decision to inflict self-harm. The police have not received any prior complaints from the victim regarding the cyber extortionist.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 13, 2023 02:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).