Fake rape cases: Woman cop faces action on suspicion of helping suspects in Gurugram

Harinder Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Pataudi), said the investigating officer is sub-inspector Munesh Kumari against whom the action was taken on Friday. He said that the SI may face further action if her involvement with the duo comes to light

A woman investigating officer posted in Farrukhnagar police station was removed and attached to the police lines on alleged suspicion of assisting a woman and her male accomplice, who were arrested for allegedly running an extortion racket, Gurugram police said on Saturday.

Gurugram, India-June 08, 2023: Vikas Kaushik, ACP DLF, Harinder, ACP Pataudi and Dr. Kavita, ACP address a press conference after arrested two accused allegedly involve in honey trap case in Commissionerate building, in Gurugram, India, on Thursday, 08 June 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go wiith Debashish Karmakar's story)

A per police, the arrested duo got fake rape cases registered at different places after trapping men on a dating app.

Harinder Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Pataudi), said the investigating officer is sub-inspector Munesh Kumari against whom the action was taken on Friday. He said that the SI may face further action if her involvement with the duo comes to light.

The arrested woman, identified as Binita Kumari (27), and her accomplice, Mahesh Phogat (30), were arrested from U block and Sector 24 in DLF Phase 3 respectively on Wednesday after they had extorted ₹50,000 from a man by threatening him that he will be booked in a fake rape case.

According to investigators, Binita, who is an advisor in a multinational information technology (IT) firm, had befriended the victim on a dating app and had later met him in a hotel room where she forced him to drink alcohol. But the victim sensed foul play and left the place. Later, she rang him up and threatened him by saying that he had molested her. She said she would approach police if he did not pay her ₹5 lakh, police said.

Later, a deal was finalised for ₹2 lakh, but the victim got an FIR registered against the duo at DLF Phase 3 police station on Wednesday and the two suspects were arrested, police added.

Investigators said the duo had extorted money from 12 victims till date, adding that four of the FIRs for sexual assault charges were registered in Gurugram itself

ACP Kumar said, “The woman SI was the one who had helped Binita in submitting two complaints at Farrukhnagar police station and both were of the same nature. The first complaint was submitted on May 14 and another on May 26. No FIRs were registered in both the cases. Later, it came to light that Binita settled the cases with both the victims”.

The ACP said that in both the complaints, Binita had alleged that she was molested. “She had labelled the same charges against the victim in the DLF Phase 3 incident also,” he said.

ACP Kumar said police have filed a petition in the court and have sought a production warrant of Binita and Phogat for a detailed interrogation.

“We will get them on police remand to know how much money they had extorted after submitting fake complaints and if the woman police officer had helped them in the cases,” the ACP added.