Honey trap gang snares Lucknow lawyer, probe underway

In August last year, the Allahabad high court directed the CBI to probe allegations that a gang in Prayagraj had been filing fake cases of rape and other crimes under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against people and then blackmailing them to pay up to withdraw the false complaints. As many as 51 such doubtful cases were listed before the court then.

Lucknow A honey trap gang allegedly targeted a young lawyer in Lucknow and blackmailed him continuously, first in 2020 and again recently. The modus operandi was similar to the honey trapping cases reported in Prayagraj earlier.

In another incident, a private firm employee was blackmailed last week after a woman befriended him through Facebook. (Pic for representation)

To recall, in August last year, the Allahabad high court directed the CBI to probe allegations that a gang in Prayagraj had been filing fake cases of rape and other crimes under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against people and then blackmailing them to pay up to withdraw the false complaints. As many as 51 such doubtful cases were listed before the court then.

In the Lucknow incident, a woman had lodged the case of rape against the lawyer in 2020 after which he was arrested and sent to jail. The woman later compromised in the case after minting ₹ 5 lakh and the case was closed.

In a complaint given at Sushant Golf City police station of Lucknow, the lawyer Ayush Tiwari said he first met the woman while travelling in a bus from Farrukhabad and gradually developed friendship three years ago. He said the woman later got some private photographs clicked with him and started using them to extort money.

He said the woman first obtained some expensive gifts from him on the pretext of friendship and then some of her gang members started blackmailing him, threatening to get him framed in a rape case. He said he even had to remain in jail for several months after the woman lodged an FIR of rape against him but later she compromised in return for money.

He said some male members of the gang recently started blackmailing him again and threatened to again get him framed in the rape case. Police are investigating the case.

Yet another incident was reported from Mahanagar police station limits of Lucknow where a private firm employee was blackmailed last week after a woman befriended him through Facebook. The man has reported to the cybercrime cell and further probe is underway.