A case of honey trapping has surfaced in Haryana’s Jind district, where a woman was caught red-handed while extorting money from a male victim. The accused, who had entrapped multiple men in the past, was apprehended while accepting Rs 8 lakh to withdraw a false rape complaint. Police investigations have revealed that she systematically targeted men using a deceptive modus operandi, exploiting their fear to extract large sums of money.
According to police sources, the accused woman would stand by the roadside and solicit help from unsuspecting individuals under the pretext of needing a lift or borrowing a phone to make an urgent call. Once inside the vehicle, she would engage in conversation, secure the person’s contact number, and later initiate communication through a missed call. Over time, she would build rapport and ultimately trap the victim in a fabricated allegation, demanding money to settle the matter.
Once a victim was ensnared, she would pressure them into paying a hefty sum to prevent legal consequences. After securing the extorted money, she would wait for about six months before identifying a new target. Investigations so far have unearthed at least three such cases where she executed this scheme successfully.
The case that led to her arrest originated on January 8, 2025, when the accused woman, a resident of Uchana Kalan, filed a rape complaint against a youth from Kapro village in Hisar district at the Sadar Narwana police station. However, the accused youth’s mother soon approached Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amit Bhatia, alleging that the woman had demanded Rs 8 lakh to withdraw the case. The family had already paid Rs 1 lakh in advance.
Recognising the severity of the allegation, DSP Bhatia transferred the case to Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) in-charge Sukhdev Singh. A special team, led by ASI Ramesh Kumar, was constituted to investigate the matter.
In a well-coordinated sting operation on March 8, police officers recorded the serial numbers of Rs 8 lakh in cash and handed it over to the complainant. As instructed by the accused, the complainant met her at a grocery store in Uchana Kalan to complete the transaction. The moment she accepted the money, the CIA team moved in and apprehended her on the spot.
Her accomplice, identified as Balinder from Kahsun village, was also arrested during the operation. However, two more suspects, Sandeep and Jasmer, managed to escape, and police teams are currently searching for them.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to having extorted money in at least three cases, using the same fraudulent scheme. Authorities suspect that more victims may come forward as investigations continue.
Case 1: The woman befriended a young man and extorted Rs 5 lakh in exchange for withdrawing a legal complaint. After successfully extracting the money, she moved on to her next target.
Case 2: She sought a lift to Narwana from an unsuspecting individual. During the journey, she struck up a conversation and exchanged mobile numbers. Four months later, she falsely accused him of rape and extorted Rs 8 lakh to settle the case.
Case 3: She borrowed a phone, claiming hers was switched off, and used it to make a call, thus obtaining the owner’s number. She later contacted him, threatened to file a false rape case, and successfully extorted Rs 6 lakh.
Police officials suspect that the accused woman and her accomplices had been operating this extortion racket for an extended period. The gang allegedly recorded compromising videos of their victims to exert additional pressure and secure settlements. Investigators are also reviewing previous cases with similar patterns to identify potential links to the accused.
Authorities have urged other potential victims to come forward and report any incidents. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to track down the two absconding accomplices and uncover the full extent of the racket.
The case has once again raised concerns about the increasing misuse of legal provisions for personal gain and the vulnerability of individuals to such fraudulent schemes. Authorities have reassured the public that stringent action will be taken against all those involved in such criminal activities.
