A Muslim gym trainer has been arrested in Surat, Gujarat, for blackmailing a Hindu woman’s husband using her private photos and demanding Rs 5 lakh. The accused, identified as Shabbir Asgar Trunkwala, was caught by the Special Operations Group (SOG) police after a complaint was filed at Pal police station.
Blackmail over private photos, Rs 5 lakh demand
According to police, the Hindu woman, who belongs to a well-known and wealthy family in Surat, used to visit a gym in the Citylight area for workouts. During this time, she came in contact with Shabbir, who worked there as a trainer. Over time, he built a close relationship with her and stayed in touch for several years.
In recent months, the situation turned serious when the trainer started blackmailing her. He had taken some private photos of the woman and began threatening to make them viral. He also started interfering in her married life.
When the woman’s husband came to know about the situation and contacted Shabbir, the accused openly threatened him. He demanded Rs 5 lakh in exchange for not releasing the photos and even warned him of death threats.
Husband approaches police, SOG takes action
Disturbed by the threats and fearing damage to his family members, the husband approached the police after learning about a recent awareness meeting conducted by the SOG with gym trainers. Based on his complaint at Pal police station, the SOG team acted quickly and arrested the accused.
Police said the husband had tried multiple times to convince the trainer not to leak the photos, but Shabbir continued to pressure him for money.
Police warning to gym operators
Rajdeep Singh Nakum said that the matter is serious, and legal action has been started against the accused. He also mentioned that just days before this incident, the SOG had held a meeting with gym owners and trainers.
During the meeting, strict instructions were given to carry out proper background checks before hiring trainers and to ensure that trainers maintain professional boundaries, especially with women members.
The victim’s husband told police that his wife had been going to the Pooja L1 Gym in the Satellite area for years and had come in contact with Shabbir during that time. He added that the accused clearly told him, “I will not leave your wife,” and threatened to make objectionable photos and videos viral if the money was not paid. The police are investigating the case further.
