The District Crime Branch police laid a trap and arrested him, the police said. (Representational)

A 30-year old man was arrested in Coimbatore today on the charge of befriending and blackmailing several women on social media by posing as Bollywood singer Armaan Malik, the police said.

Mahendra Varman, hailing from Ulundurpet in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, had established friendship with several women on Facebook and WhatApp in the name of Mr Malik.

He persuaded some women to send obscene photographs and later threatened that he would post them on social media if they did not give money.

He had allegedly collected lakhs of rupees over a period of time, the police said.

Based on a complaint from a woman in Coimbatore, the District Crime Branch police laid a trap and arrested him while he was talking with the woman, the police said.