Honey trap racket busted, four nabbed

Greater Noida: With the arrest of four persons including a woman by Gautam Buddh Nagar's Dadri police, a 'honey trap' racket has been busted as the gang used to extort money from people after blackmailing them on pretext of implicating them in a rape case.

Cops said that the woman used to befriend a targeted person through social media network and lure him to her flat where the gang secretly capture their video and started threatening him, posing as fake police officer.

The accused persons have been identified as gang leader Vijay Singh Cheema, native of District Amroha, Pushpendra of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Arun Kumar and Seema Sirohi (35), both natives of Bulandshahr district. Police officials added that Cheema is a head constable with 49th PAC battalion while Pushpendra is RWA secretary of sector 36 in Greater Noida.

Vaibhav Krishna, Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar said that Seema, mother of three children, had been divorced from her husband and was living separately with her live-in partner Arun.

"The matter came to light after a secret complaint was made to a senior police officials by one of the victims, following which a trap was laid. Investigations revealed that the gang had been operating since past 7-8 months while a couple of FIRs were also registered against them at various police stations of the district," said Krishna.

Discussing the modus operandi, the officer informed that the gang used to target some influential persons whom they suspect to land in their trap.

"During sustained interrogations, it was revealed that Seema and Arun used to meet the targeted person on pretext of getting a job and later the woman tried to come closer to the suspect by sending him text messages and pictures on WhatsApp. Once the target is landed into their trap, she used to call him to her flat in sector Zu-3 of Greater Noida where the other gang members secretly capture their video and start blackmailing the target. The woman then make a fake police control room call, following which, PAC Head constable, Cheema, arrive at the flat and threaten the target posing as fake police sub-Inspector from a nearby police station," added Krishna.

The officer further said that Cheema then gets the matter settle down between them for which he used to demand lakhs of rupees from the victim.

"Till now the gang has duped several people while two cases have been registered against the gang where they duped Rs 5 lakhs and Rs 3 lakhs from the suspected targets," said Krishna.

Police have recovered Rs 2,76,500 cash, a police sub-inspector's uniform, fake police identity card and a Hyundai Santro car.