Jabalpur Honey-Trap Case (Madhya Pradesh): A case of honey-trap emerged from the Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, where local police successfully arrested a 28-year-old woman for blackmailing a real estate businessman . The accused had been aggressively demanding ₹20 lakh from the victim, threatening to falsely implicate him in severe criminal charges if he failed to comply. Acting swiftly on a formal complaint, authorities orchestrated a sting operation and apprehended her inside a hotel while she was collecting the first instalment of ₹2.50 lakh.
According to police officials, the suspect has been identified as Pooja Raidas, a resident of Birsinghpur Pali in the Umaria district. The victim, 34-year-old real estate businessman Sarthak Singh from the Gwarighat area, initially connected with Raidas via social media in October 2025.
Their online interaction soon led to an in-person meeting at a dance event, after which their communication continued regularly. Singh disclosed to Raidas that he was married and a father of two children. However, the situation quickly turned sour as the accused allegedly manipulated him into giving her approximately ₹8 lakh under the pretext of family troubles.
Tensions escalated when Raidas began pressuring the businessman to divorce his wife and marry her. When Singh firmly refused, she resorted to heavy extortion tactics, threatening to frame him in a false rape case or other serious criminal charges. She initially demanded ₹2.20 lakh, eventually inflating the figure to ₹20 lakh before it was negotiated down to ₹7 lakh.
Unable to bear the continuous harassment, Singh filed a formal complaint at the Kotwali police station on September 18. Following a strategic plan, police arranged for the businessman to invite Raidas to the "Kadam Tree" hotel near Damoh Naka under the guise of handing over a ₹2.50 lakh instalment.
On Sunday night, as Raidas exited the hotel room with the cash, plainclothes officers moved in and apprehended her. A search of her bag recovered the entire ₹2.50 lakh in cash.
The Kotwali police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Following her production in court, she was remanded to judicial custody, while authorities continue investigating potential accomplices.
