2 remanded in custody for alleged sextortion case

29-year-old Pranesh Sharma and 31-year-old Ria Ramira Chandra who are charged in relation to a case of alleged sextortion have been remanded in custody and will appear in court again next Friday.

The two appeared before Magistrate Sufia Hamza this afternoon.

The Police Prosecution had objected to bail citing that it is a case of public interest.

The accused tried to appeal for cash bail but it was refused by Magistrate Hamza who said this is a very serious case and the two are to be remanded in custody.

The couple have been charged with one count each of Traffic Obscene Publication; for recording an explicit video and was in possession of it, a second count of Posting an Intimate Visual Recording; for recording the explicit video without the victim's consent, and a third count of Computer related extortion and Fraud; in which the couple obtained $1,841 through mobile money transaction and cash delivered personally.

Police say on the 30th of June 2025, the victim had reported to the Online Safety Commission office that a couple was demanding money to pay for their rent, or they would release an explicit video they had obtained of him.

They say it is alleged that the victim was told that if he sent the money, the video would be deleted.

However, it is alleged that the couple demanded more money, which the victim sent as they continued to threaten to release the video.

Police say the couple allegedly threatened the victim to send money on several occasions where they managed to obtain over $1,800.

The Online Safety Commission Abuse team with their Police Liaison Officer, managed to locate the couple and they were handed over to Totogo Police for investigation.