Guwahati, Oct 7: An Instagram friendship that allegedly turned into an extortion racket has led Assam Police in Jorhat district to arrest five persons, including two women and the alleged female mastermind, in a honey-trapping case, officials said on Wednesday.
The case came to light after a private-sector bank manager from Tinsukia lodged a complaint at Jorhat Sadar Police Station.
According to Officer-in-Charge Hrishikesh Hazarika, the victim had befriended a woman from Jorhat on Instagram in July, and their online interactions later developed into a personal relationship.
Victim called to Jorhat
On August 14, the woman allegedly asked the bank manager to come to Jorhat.
He reportedly arrived at around 1 a.m. and was taken to a rented house in Seoni Ali.
According to the complaint, two unidentified men later arrived at the house. The woman allegedly opened the door, after which the intruders reportedly recorded compromising footage and threatened to circulate it on social media and share it with the victim's family.
Gang allegedly demanded money
The gang initially demanded Rs 2 lakh, which the victim allegedly paid out of fear.
Subsequently, demands for another Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh were made.
Police said the victim paid a total of Rs 3 lakh before approaching the authorities.
Five arrested in case
Acting on the directions of the Senior Superintendent of Police, a special team led by Hrishikesh Hazarika arrested two youths, Sanjib Das and Ankit Paul of Garmur, on October 2.
They were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody in Case No. 338/2026.
Further investigation identified Moromi Das Neog as the alleged mastermind.
A police team sent to Dibrugarh tracked her down and arrested her based on specific intelligence inputs.
Police also arrested another woman, Baby Bora, and her husband, Ankit Bora.
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Police probe possible other victims
Preliminary examination of mobile phones seized from the accused suggests that the gang may have targeted several financially well-off individuals, including businessmen and government and private-sector employees, using a similar modus operandi.
Calling it a clear case of honey-trapping, Hrishikesh Hazarika said police are examining digital evidence to identify other possible victims.
The investigation is continuing.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
