Instagram ‘Friendship’ Turns Violent: Youth Allegedly Kidnapped, Assaulted and Robbed in Lucknow

Lucknow: A disturbing case has emerged from Lucknow highlighting the dangers of online interactions, where a social media friendship allegedly turned into a premeditated crime involving abduction, assault, robbery and blackmail.

According to a complaint filed at Indiranagar Police Station, a young man was lured into meeting an individual he had befriended on Instagram, only to be taken to an isolated location, held captive, assaulted and robbed by a group of assailants.

The victim stated that he became acquainted with a person identified as “Shivam” on Instagram on November 30, 2025. After several days of communication, Shivam allegedly invited him for a meeting and offered to take him for a ride. At around 8:20 pm, the victim was taken towards the Khurramnagar area and later transported on a motorcycle to a location near CIMAP.

Police said that two other individuals, identified as Sandeep and Vivek, were already present at the site. The victim alleged that the accused then executed a planned attack. One of the assailants allegedly placed a packet of cannabis in his pocket and threatened to implicate him in a drug trafficking case. When the victim resisted, he was reportedly threatened with a knife, forcibly taken to a secluded area, and brutally assaulted. His mouth was allegedly gagged, and he was held captive for a period of time.

The accused are said to have robbed him of ₹8,500 in cash and a gold chain, and also forced him to transfer an additional ₹4,000 online. The victim further alleged that the assault was recorded on video, which was later used to intimidate him and prevent him from approaching the police.

He was reportedly released later that night and dropped back in the Khurramnagar area. Although he sought medical treatment the following day, fear of blackmail initially prevented him from filing a complaint. He eventually approached the police on March 20, leading to the registration of a case against the three accused.

In a related development, another victim has reportedly come forward with similar allegations, claiming he was lured through social media to the Kukrail area, held captive overnight in a forested location, assaulted, and forced to transfer money.

Police officials confirmed that an investigation is underway, including examination of CCTV footage from the areas concerned. Inspector Ajay Narayan Singh stated that while the incident dates back some time, a formal case has now been registered based on the complaint, and all angles are being thoroughly probed. Preliminary findings indicate that the named accused have prior criminal records and have been jailed in connection with earlier offences.

Experts caution that such criminal groups often build trust through social media interactions before luring victims to isolated locations, where crimes are committed and recorded to facilitate extortion and silence victims.

Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution when interacting with unknown individuals online and to avoid meeting strangers without proper verification.