Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Kohe Fiza police on Thursday arrested three more members of the gang that allegedly targeted several people across the city and blackmailed them using ‘honey trap’ to extort cash.
With the recent arrests, the number of accused in the case has risen to six while the woman who lured victims and some other members are still absconding.
The newly arrested accused have been identified as Abhishek Meena (25), Neeraj Khange (20) and Amit Oswal (19). Police said the trio was actively involved in executing the honey trap along with the previously arrested accused, including Abhishek Upadhyay (26), Akash alias Bhura Haddi (28) and Ram Thakur (40).
DCP Mayur Khandelwal said interrogation of the accused revealed that the gang had been operating a well-planned honey trap racket and had allegedly extorted money from several people in different parts of the city. Areas in which the victims were reportedly targeted include Shahjahanabad, Shyamla Hills, Kohe Fiza, Gandhi Nagar and Bairagarh.
Police said the gang used a woman to lure victims to a room on the pretext of a meeting. Once the victim arrived, other gang members would enter the room, assault him and threaten to implicate him in a false rape case. In some instances, they also threatened to circulate objectionable photos or videos to force the victims to pay money.
Bhura has 31 cases, including that of murder, against him while other gang members also have long criminal records.
The case came to light after complainant Rakesh Khemaniya reported that he had been lured to a room and later abducted and assaulted by the gang. The accused allegedly demanded Rs 8 lakh from him to avoid being falsely implicated in a rape case and released him after taking Rs 50,000 in cash.
Woman culprit on the run
Police also revealed that the woman involved in the racket was allegedly the girlfriend of absconding accused Taufiq alias Shooter, who is believed to be one of the key members of the gang. Both the woman and Taufiq are currently on the run, and police teams have been formed to trace them.
“Illegal” tattooed on necks
Officials further said that all members of the gang had “Illegal” tattooed on their necks, which they allegedly used as a symbol of their group identity. Police suspect that more victims of the gang may come forward during further investigation.
