Police in Bareilly have busted an alleged honeytrap operation after arresting a woman accused of luring an electricity contractor into a relationship and extorting large sums of money from him.
The accused, Pooja Sharma, was sent to jail on Saturday following her arrest by Prem Nagar Police Station. Authorities have also registered a case against her three associates, Udit Pandey, Guddu Banjara, and Avdhesh Yadav, who remain absconding.
Ashutosh Shivam, circle officer (CO), said a preliminary inquiry found the allegations to be substantiated, following which an FIR was registered against all four accused. He added that Pooja was arrested on February 14 and her mobile phone is being examined for evidence.
Complainant Manish Gangwar alleged that he rented out his uncle Ashok Kumar’s house in Veer Savarkar Nagar to Pooja about a year ago. He claimed she gradually began seeking financial help on the pretext of personal difficulties and eventually manipulated him emotionally and physically to extract money.
Manish claimed he paid her nearly ₹15 lakh over time. Recently, she allegedly demanded another ₹12 lakh. When he refused, he said she threatened to implicate him in a rape case. He also alleged that members of her gang repeatedly intimidated him.
{{/usCountry}}Manish claimed he paid her nearly ₹15 lakh over time. Recently, she allegedly demanded another ₹12 lakh. When he refused, he said she threatened to implicate him in a rape case. He also alleged that members of her gang repeatedly intimidated him.
{{/usCountry}}During interrogation, police said Pooja revealed she had separated from her husband and lives with her two daughters, aged 13 and 3, without a stable income. She allegedly admitted that after meeting Manish, she began receiving money from him, travelled with him to various places, and continued extracting funds.
In his statement, Manish alleged that Pooja and Guddu jointly operated the gang, with Udit and Avdhesh assisting them. He claimed the group typically targeted affluent or influential individuals.
Police believe more victims may surface as the investigation progresses and have said anyone else found linked to the racket will also be arrested.