Ahmedabad Cyber Crime busts fake Instagram 'Love Guru' who blackmailed 300 women daily
Synopsis
An Ahmedabad cyber fraud ring posed as a female astrologer on Instagram, luring women with promises of fixing love and marriage problems — then blackmailed them with edited and screen-recorded explicit content. The gang reportedly contacted 300 women daily and allegedly extorted ₹40–50 lakh over two-and-a-half years before police arrested the main accused from Bikaner within a week of the first complaint.
Key Takeaways
Rajnish Bhargava of Bikaner, Rajasthan was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch for running an Instagram extortion network targeting women.
The gang posed as astrologer "Pooja Kinnar Guru Ma" on Instagram, offering vashikaran and ritual-based solutions for love and marital problems.
Accused allegedly contacted around 300 women daily , handling 60–65 clients per day and charging ₹3,000 to ₹15,000 per ritual.
The complainant was extorted of ₹1,43,951 through multiple transactions.
Total estimated proceeds: ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh ; bank transactions across Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda and State Bank of India totalled around ₹60 lakh .
Two accused — Vikas Bhargava and Ravi Bhargava — remain absconding; investigation is ongoing.
The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has arrested Rajnish Bhargava, a resident of Bikaner, Rajasthan, for allegedly running an Instagram-based extortion network that targeted vulnerable women seeking help with relationship and marital problems. Two other accused, Vikas Bhargava and Ravi Bhargava, remain absconding. The gang reportedly operated for around two-and-a-half years, allegedly extorting between ₹40 lakh and ₹50 lakh in total.
How the Fraud Operated
According to investigators, the group maintained multiple Instagram accounts — including
Point of View
Transgender-coded persona — 'Pooja Kinnar Guru Ma' — knowing that victims would be too embarrassed to report quickly, buying the gang years of operation. The scale — 300 contacts a day, 60–65 active clients — suggests this was not opportunistic crime but an organised, systemised operation. That police traced and arrested the main accused within a week of the first complaint is notable; the harder task now is identifying the full victim pool, many of whom may never come forward.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the Ahmedabad Instagram blackmail case?
Rajnish Bhargava of Bikaner, Rajasthan was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch as the main accused. Two others — Vikas Bhargava and Ravi Bhargava — have been booked but remain absconding.
How did the fake 'Love Guru' gang target women on Instagram?
The gang operated Instagram accounts posing as a female astrologer named 'Pooja Kinnar Guru Ma' , offering rituals to resolve love, marriage, and divorce issues. They collected personal photos under the guise of rituals, then edited them and coerced victims into nude video calls — which were screen-recorded — before threatening to leak the content unless money was paid.
How much money did the gang extort in total?
Investigators estimate the gang generated between ₹40 lakh and ₹50 lakh over roughly two-and-a-half years . Bank transactions across multiple accounts totalled around ₹60 lakh , some linked to cyber fraud cases in other states. The complainant alone was extorted of ₹1,43,951 .
What charges have been filed in the case?
The FIR, registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ahmedabad, invokes Sections 75(2), 77, 78(2), 308(2), 318(4), 351(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 66(D) and 67 of the Information Technology Act.
What is 'vashikaran' and why was it used as a lure?
Vashikaran is a term from folk occult tradition, loosely referring to rituals believed to influence or attract another person. The accused exploited widespread belief in such practices to approach women in distress over relationship problems, using the ritual pretext to extract photographs and video footage later used for blackmail.
