Jagatsinghpur: Police in Jagatsinghpur district have arrested two brothers accused of trapping college-going girls through fake social media identities, sexually exploiting them, recording obscene videos and blackmailing the victims for money.
The accused, identified as Gyana Ranjan Nayak (20) and his elder brother Biswa Ranjan Nayak (24), residents of Ichhapur in Jagatsinghpur district, were arrested within 24 hours of a complaint lodged by a young woman at Jagatsinghpur police station on May 14, police said.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, the Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police said the duo operated from rented accommodations in Bhubaneswar and allegedly targeted college girls through Instagram and direct contact.
According to police, Gyana Ranjan used the fake Instagram identity “Adi Art Arix” to lure victims into relationships. The brothers allegedly called the girls to their rented rooms, raped them, recorded explicit videos and photographs, and later blackmailed them for money while continuing sexual exploitation.
Police said the money extorted from victims was allegedly used to purchase expensive mobile phones and fund luxury trips, including visits to Goa.
Police said the complainant first came into contact with Gyana Ranjan on Instagram in 2024. During the course of the relationship, she was allegedly raped repeatedly and became pregnant. Police said that in May 2025, the accused forcibly administered abortion pills to terminate her four-month pregnancy at a rented house in CDA Sector-9 in Cuttack, where she was also confined and repeatedly assaulted.
The woman later escaped from the house when the accused were away. Though she informed her family, the matter was not reported to police earlier due to fear of social stigma, officials said.
Police further stated that the accused later threatened the victim and extorted ₹2 lakh from her and her sister. Even after she secured employment in Paradip, the harassment and blackmail allegedly continued, forcing her to resign from her job earlier this year.
During the investigation, police seized an iPhone 15 Pro Max from Gyana Ranjan and a Samsung S25 Ultra from Biswa Ranjan. Obscene videos and photographs involving the complainant and several other young women were recovered from the devices, police said.
The accused underwent medical examination and interrogation on Friday and are scheduled to be produced before a court on Saturday, officials added.
