Haryana teen dies by suicide after being blackmailed with AI-generated obscene images of sisters

A 19-year-old student, Rahul Bharti, died by suicide in Faridabad, Haryana, after being blackmailed with AI-generated obscene images and videos of himself and his three sisters.

The second-year student at DAV College was reportedly targeted by a cybercriminal who demanded Rs 20,000 to prevent the manipulated content from being shared online.

According to Rahul’s father, Manoj Bharti, the ordeal began two weeks ago when Rahul’s phone was hacked, and the perpetrator used artificial intelligence to create explicit photos and videos.

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Manoj noted that Rahul had been visibly distressed, withdrawing to his room and barely eating. A WhatsApp chat uncovered by the police revealed interactions between Rahul and an individual named ‘Sahil,’ who sent the obscene material, demanded money, and even shared a location with the message, “Come to me.” In their final exchange, ‘Sahil’ allegedly threatened to make the content viral on social media and incited Rahul to take his own life, suggesting specific substances to use.

On Saturday evening around 7 p.m., Rahul consumed poisonous tablets. His family rushed him to a private hospital, but he succumbed during treatment. “My son was tormented by threats to leak obscene images and videos of my daughters. The mental harassment drove him to this extreme step,” Manoj said.

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Rahul’s mother, Meena Devi, alleged that her brother-in-law, Neeraj Bharti, with whom she had a dispute six months earlier, was involved in the plot alongside an unidentified woman. Based on the family’s complaint, the police have registered a case against two suspects.

Investigating officer Sunil Kumar confirmed that Rahul’s death followed his consumption of poison, and the police are examining his mobile phone as part of the ongoing investigation. “We are treating this case with utmost seriousness and will take appropriate legal action based on our findings,” Kumar stated. Old Police Station in-charge Vishnu Kumar described the incident as a “grave instance of cybercrime and the dangerous misuse of AI technology.”