A 63-year-old man had filed an extortion complaint with the police in Nashik, but a probe into his blackmailers uncovered 121 obscene videos, leading to his arrest for alleged sexual exploitation, the police said.
Ravindra Ganpat Erande, who identifies himself as a journalist and social activist, was subsequently arrested last Friday.
A probe has revealed that Erande allegedly sexually exploited several women and shot obscene videos of them.
The police had earlier arrested four men for allegedly stealing a tablet from the senior citizen’s office in the Satpur area and attempting to extort Rs 12 lakh from him by threatening to leak his private photographs and videos on social media.
Four mobile phones, two pen drives and a memory card were among the things seized from the accused men, and on checking these devices, the cops found 121 obscene and objectionable video clips of women and friends of the complainant, Ravindra Ganpat Erande, police said.
The investigation has revealed that Erande sexually exploited women by luring them with false promises of helping them start small-scale businesses or securing government jobs for their children, while secretly recording videos of the acts.
Police found that the videos were stored on his office computer in folders created under the names of various women.
Eight women have been identified so far. Their statements are being recorded, based on which it is likely that more serious charges and new cases will be registered against Erande, the police said, adding that the number of victims could be substantial.
The police have appealed to women to come forward with their complaints against Erande, assuring them that their identities will be kept confidential.
The scandal comes weeks after self-styled godman and astrologer Ashok Karat was arrested after a married woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years. A total of eight FIRs have been registered against him so far.
(With inputs from Rahul Wagh)