Thane, Jan 20 (Mid-day) : The Kashimira police arrested a 26-year-old yesterday, after he allegedly filmed a sex video of his girlfriend and then used it to blackmail her for money. According to the police, the accused and two of his friends had planted a spy camera in the bedroom of a Mira Road flat, and then filmed a video of him and the survivor while they were having sex.

The prime accused in the case, Sanu Khan (26) had met the survivor in October, when she had visited the aquarium store where he worked. She had gone there to buy a fish tank, and when she met Khan, the two struck up a friendship.

Over time, the friendship turned into a love affair, and in the same month, Sanu took the survivor to the Grand Hotel in Bhayander, where they had sex. A few days later, the he then called her to friend’s flat at Mira Road.

Unbeknownst to her, Sanu and his friends — Javed Khan (the flat’s owner) and Faiyaz Khan — had already planted a hidden camera in the room, which captured a video and photographs of the couple as they were engaged in sexual acts.

Since the past month, Sanu and his friends had been threatening to post the video and pictures on the Internet, the survivor told the police. The trio blackmailed her into giving them R2.8 lakh. But when they began demanding another R30 lakh, she told her parents about it and a police complaint was lodged yesterday.

The survivor also told the police that Sanu had promised to marry her and had introduced her to his friends, Javed and Faiyaz as well. The police apprehended Sanu at the Mira Road flat, but his friends are currently on the run.

Sanu has been charged for rape and extortion under the Indian Penal Code, as well as under relevant sections of the IT Act.