Five held in Faridabad for trapping men, extorting them

A complainant alleged he was lured by the main accused in February 2024 under the pretext that she was being abused by her husband and when he sought to help her, ended up being trapped and paying ₹3.51 lakh

Updated on: Sep 20, 2024, 05:30:14 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Two women and three men were arrested for allegedly running an extortion racket by trapping men in compromising situations with the accused women, having physical relations, recording the same and threatening to publicly shame them or file false rape cases if they failed to pay up, police said on Thursday.

Police registered a case and made arrests in September. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The main accused was identified as 23-year-old Sania Salim and her associates as Reshma Rafiq, 45, Raheesh Khan, 48, Irfan Khan, 27, and Farid Mohammad, 27. They are all residents of Faridabad, deputy commissioner of police (crime) Hemendra Kumar Meena said.

“We are identifying such gangs that are extorting people through honey traps. This is the second gang we have busted, and our crackdown on such criminal groups will continue,” DCP Meena said.

Police zeroed in on the gang based on a complaint filed by a victim at the Dhauj police station on September 11. The complainant, a man, alleged he was lured by Sania Salim in February 2024 under the pretext that she was being abused by her husband and when he and a friend — identified as Mubarik, who was later found to be their accomplice — sought to help her, ended up being trapped and paying ₹3.51 lakh.

Based on the complaint, police arrested Salim on September 14 from Pali village. The gang has extorted money from multiple victims, and has cases registered against them in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of Haryana, police said.

A case under sections 284 (extortion), 379 B (snatching) and 120 B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the five persons at Dhauj police station on September 11, police said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More