Mangaluru: Man arrested for blackmailing employer with morphed videos, Rs 2 crore demand

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 25, 2026: Urwa Police have arrested a former employee of a reputed educational institution in Mangaluru on charges of blackmail and extortion involving morphed and AI-generated videos.

The accused, identified as Abhishek Surendra Poojary, a resident of Kaup in Udupi district, was taken into custody following a complaint filed at the Urwa Police Station.

According to police, Poojary had earlier been employed at the institution. About two years ago, he reportedly persuaded the institution’s owner that there was considerable demand for specialised training programmes in Dubai, prompting a visit to explore the opportunity. Subsequent verification revealed that no such training prospects existed and that the proposal had no factual basis. It is suspected that the accused used this opportunity to record video footage of the employer without raising suspicion.

After returning to Mangaluru, the accused is said to have created morphed and AI-generated videos and used them to threaten the institution’s owner. He allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore to prevent circulation of the fabricated content and instructed that the amount be transferred to a bank account in the name of his wife, Srinidhi Patil.

When the demand was not met, the accused reportedly forwarded the morphed videos via WhatsApp to the principals of several prominent colleges in Mangaluru and Udupi in an attempt to exert pressure.

A formal complaint was subsequently lodged by the owner’s daughter, following which police initiated an investigation and arrested the accused. He was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.

Police officials said further investigation is underway, including an examination of the possible role of the accused’s wife in the case.