Is Social Media Influencer Kirti Patel Facing Legal Consequences for Extortion and Defamation?

SURAT, GUJARAT:

Social media influencer Kirti Patel, famous for her TikTok and Instagram presence but also known for her controversies, is now facing serious extortion allegations involving ₹2 crores from builder Vaju Patel in Surat. These accusations arise from Kirti’s alleged exploitation of a financial dispute between Vaju and Vijay Manji Savani, which led to defamatory content being posted by Kirti on Instagram and subsequent legal action by the Surat police.

According to ACP V.R. Patel, the conflict dates back eight years to when Vijay Manji Savani initially invested ₹5 lakhs in Vaju Patel’s project, which was later canceled. Vijay demanded a return of ₹2 crores, igniting a series of legal battles between the two parties since 2017 and 2018, involving clashes, defamation claims, and extortion allegations.

Kirti Patel allegedly supported Vijay Savani by using online threats against Vaju Patel, posting derogatory captions and explicit images of him on Instagram. She claimed to possess compromising videos of Vaju, threatening to release them publicly. The situation escalated when members of the Bhuri gang, particularly Jahangir alias Zakir Pathan, reportedly drugged Vaju Patel and took compromising photographs, which Kirti Patel then shared online, intensifying the defamation campaign.

In response, Surat police arrested Vijay Savani, seized his phones, and discovered incriminating evidence, including manipulated images of Vaju Patel with Manisha Goswami, a local paan shop owner. The extent of Kirti Patel’s involvement and her potential motives in this defamation scheme are currently under investigation. Multiple charges, including sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) such as 368, 389, 504, 506(2), 328, 507, 120(B), as well as provisions of the Information Technology (I.T.) Act 66(E) and 67, have been filed against the accused. The police continue to probe the case to uncover all relevant facts.