Ahmedabad lawyer accuses woman of ₹22 lakh extortion over ‘objectionable’ photos

An Ahmedabad-based lawyer has complained with Ellisbridge police, alleging that a woman he had hired on contract extorted nearly ₹22.8 lakh from him and his wife by threatening to release their 'objectionable' photos and videos.

The complainant, identified as Himanshu Mahendrabhai Sampat (47), a resident of Paldi and legal advisor with an Ellisbridge-based firm, stated in his FIR that the accused, Ankitaben Praveen Singh Gohel, first befriended him in 2022, gradually winning his trust under the guise of helping him cope with depression through Reiki healing.

As per the FIR, Gohel initially demanded ₹1 lakh for these “healing sessions”, which Sampat paid by cheque. In June 2023, both travelled to Goa, where Gohel allegedly took photos and videos of them at hotels, restaurants, and beaches. Soon after, when Sampat terminated her contract, citing unsatisfactory performance, Gohel allegedly passed the photographs to Sampat’s then live-in partner (now wife) and threatened to make them public unless he invested in her proposed film project.

Fearing defamation, Sampat claimed he arranged a transfer of ₹12.5 lakh from his firm’s account to an entity named Creative Vibe and even signed a promissory note. However, when further demands followed, Gohel allegedly continued to intimidate both Sampat and his partner, Anamika Nao.

The FIR states that in 2024, Sampat was forced to pay ₹3 lakh in cash at a meeting on Ashram Road after Gohel demanded money for withholding videos. Later, she allegedly contacted Anamika directly, showing her the videos and demanding another ₹15 lakh. When the couple refused, an associate named Deepesh Rathod allegedly intervened on Gohel’s behalf and facilitated online transfers totalling ₹1.3 lakh via PhonePe between November and December 2024.

In May 2025, Gohel allegedly escalated the threats by sending objectionable clips to one of Sampat’s professional associates. Shortly afterwards, she allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh in cash from Anamika in exchange for an affidavit to be used in court proceedings against Sampat. Altogether, Sampat has alleged that Gohel extorted ₹17.8 lakh from him and an additional ₹5 lakh from his wife, totalling ₹22.8 lakh.

Ellisbridge police have booked Gohel under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to extortion and criminal intimidation. A police official said, “The accused had earlier been booked in a 2021 extortion attempt registered at Khokhra police station. The matter is under investigation."