Real Life Ricky Bahl: How a Noida Man Defrauded Over 700 Women

Tushar Singh Bisht, a 23-year-old Noida resident, lived a dual life. By day, he worked as a technical recruiter at a private company, offering him stability and a steady income. By night, however, he assumed the guise of a US-based model on dating platforms, manipulating and blackmailing women for money.

Tushar, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration (BBA), was arrested on Friday in East Delhi’s Shakarpur area for defrauding over 700 women. His story reveals a descent into cybercrime fueled by greed and a desire for power over his victims.

How It All Started

Tushar grew up in a middle-class family. His father is a driver, his mother a homemaker, and his sister works in Gurugram. Despite his stable job, he began exploiting women online three years ago, motivated by lust and financial gain.

Using a virtual international mobile number obtained through an app, Tushar created fake profiles on dating and social media platforms like Bumble and Snapchat. He posed as a US-based freelance model on a soul-searching trip to India. He built this persona using stolen photos and stories of a real Brazilian model.

Building Trust and Manipulating Victims

Targeting women aged 18-30, Tushar befriended them through dating platforms. Once he gained their trust, he moved the conversation to private chats on WhatsApp and Snapchat. He then coaxed his victims into sharing their phone numbers and intimate photos or videos, pretending to be a trustworthy friend.

Initially, Tushar engaged in this behavior for personal gratification. Over time, however, it turned into a systematic scheme of blackmail. Using the private visuals he had collected, Tushar threatened to leak the content online or sell it on the dark web if the victims did not pay him.

Victim Testimonies

Tushar’s manipulative tactics came to light when a second-year Delhi University student filed a complaint with the Cyber Police Station on December 13, 2024. She had met Tushar on Bumble in January 2024, where he posed as a US-based model. The friendship deepened, and they transitioned to chatting on WhatsApp and Snapchat.

Eventually, the victim shared personal photos and videos with him. When she asked to meet in person, Tushar avoided her with various excuses. Soon after, he sent her one of her private videos and demanded money, threatening to release the material if she did not comply.

Initially, the student paid a small amount, citing her financial constraints as a student. However, Tushar’s relentless demands pushed her to confide in her family and report the matter to the police.

The Investigation

The Cyber Police Station in West Delhi, under the supervision of ACP Arvind Yadav, launched an investigation. Through technical analysis and intelligence gathering, they traced Tushar’s activities and identified him as the perpetrator. A raid in Shakarpur led to his arrest.

Police recovered a mobile phone containing incriminating evidence, including a virtual international mobile number used for his activities, 13 credit cards, and over 60 WhatsApp chat records with women. Preliminary investigations revealed that Tushar had extorted at least four other women in addition to the complainant.

Findings and Further Investigation

Tushar used two bank accounts to manage his illicit earnings. One account contained entries of payments made by his victims. Details of the second account are still being examined.

Police also discovered that Tushar had interacted with over 500 women on Bumble and 200 on Snapchat and WhatsApp, collecting a significant amount of intimate content for blackmail.

ACP Arvind Yadav emphasized the importance of exercising caution on social media and dating platforms. “Cases like this highlight the dangers of sharing personal information with strangers online. We urge people to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity,” he said.