Noida: Honeytrap, extortion gang busted, five arrested

The victim had visited dating websites and shared his contact details on various platforms and later, he received photos of women and calls from one of them

NOIDA: The Noida police on Saturday arrested five people as it busted a honeytrap and an extortion racket that targeted individuals through fake dating platforms on websites and via mobile apps, officers said.

The suspects used to lure victims with fake photos and establish contact via WhatsApp. Once the victim agreed to meet, they were coerced into secluded locations where the women would accuse them of misconduct and threaten a legal action unless a ransom was paid. (HT Photo)

Police apprehended the suspects near Biodiversity Park and seized ₹70,000 in cash, five mobile phones, and a Creta car used from their possession during an operation that followed a first information report registered at the Phase 2 police station based on a complaint filed by a victim on Friday.

The suspects used to lure victims with fake photos and establish contact via WhatsApp. Once the victim agreed to meet, they were coerced into secluded locations where the women would accuse them of misconduct and threaten a legal action unless a ransom was paid, said Shakti Mohan Awasthi, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (Central Noida).

“Our swift action led to the arrest of Lalu Yadav,24, from Giridih, Jharkhand, living in Noida Sector 35; Ankit Bajpai, 34, from Sitapur, residing in Malviya Nagar, Delhi; Lalit (single name), 32, of Greater Kailash, Delhi; Anjali Bainsla, 29, from Giridih, Jharkhand; and Sonia (single name), 30, from Chandigarh, residing in Sector 62, Noida,” the DCP said.

“Cash extorted has also been recovered along with five mobile phones and a Creta car with Delhi registration number. The gang is accused of targeting over two dozen victims, extorting nearly ₹25-30 lakh,” the officer added.

The victim had visited dating websites and shared his contact details on various platforms. Later, he received photos of women and calls from one of them, police said.

The victim took his car to meet one of these women at Tikona park near Yatharth Hospital on November 23. But two women arrived. During interaction, they allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh or else threatened to create a public scene.

Two men -- Lalu Yadav and Ankit Bajpai -- suddenly entered his car and coerced him to pay. The gang allegedly extorted ₹2.4 lakh from the victim. Days later, he was asked to pay more which prompted him to approach police.

A case has been registered under Section 308(6) (extortion), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 317(2) (stolen property) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused people.

Police are working to identify more victims and crack down on similar fake dating platforms. Investigations are also underway to locate additional gang members and retrieve the remaining extorted money, police said.

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