Delhi man went looking for love on Tinder, but ended up with a Rs 26,000 shock in Hudson Lane near Delhi University

A meeting arranged through a dating app allegedly turned into an extortion incident for a man in Delhi after he was taken to a cafe in North Delhi's Hudson Lane. The man was reportedly threatened and prevented from leaving the establishment until he paid a bill of around Rs 26,000. Delhi Police have arrested two men, including the owner of the cafe, in connection with the alleged incident. Both accused are residents of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Police are also searching for the woman who allegedly lured the complainant to the cafe through Tinder.

The incident took place on November 1, when Zaid Ahmad, a resident of West Champaran in Bihar, connected with a woman using the dating application Tinder. She introduced herself as Sanya and proposed a blind date. According to the police, the woman asked Ahmad to meet her near GTB Nagar Metro Station between 6.30 pm and 7 pm. She subsequently took him to Black Panther Cafe in Hudson Lane, located in the Mukherjee Nagar area.

Tinder date takes an unexpected turn at Delhi cafe What appeared to be an ordinary first meeting allegedly took an unpleasant turn after the couple reached the cafe.


The woman ordered several food items, beverages and whisky. After some time, Ahmad was handed a handwritten bill of approximately Rs 26,000. He reportedly questioned the amount, but instead of getting an explanation, he allegedly faced pressure from the cafe owner and other staff members to clear the bill immediately.

The situation escalated when three to four people allegedly threatened him and stopped him from leaving the premises. With no apparent way out and fearing for his safety, Ahmad called his father and asked him to arrange the money. His father subsequently transferred the amount online.

Cafe provided another QR code after payment failure

According to the police investigation, the initial attempts to transfer money through the QR code provided by the cafe owner did not go through. The complainant was then given another QR code, which displayed the name Naveen Rajput. The transaction was eventually completed through this QR code. Ahmad was allowed to leave the cafe only after the payment was made, police said.

The woman, meanwhile, allegedly switched off her mobile phone and became unreachable after the incident. After informing his father about what had happened, a police emergency call was made to 112. The complaint led to the registration of an FIR at Mukherjee Nagar police station.

Who are the two accused arrested by Delhi Police?

Delhi Police identified the arrested persons as Javed, 38, the owner of Black Panther Cafe, and Anuj Kumar, 24. Both are residents of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. A police team comprising Sub-Inspector Vijay and Head Constable Praveen investigated the complaint and established the alleged involvement of the two men. They were subsequently arrested from the cafe.

Police said neither of the accused had any previous criminal involvement. An FIR (No. 451/2026) has been registered under Sections 308(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation is continuing. Police are attempting to locate the woman, identified as Sanya alias Nikita, and determine whether more people were involved in the alleged extortion operation.

(Inputs from TOI and agencies)