BHOPAL: Three months after the arrest of five women and a man in Madhya Pradesh bringing to light the alleged high-profile honey trap racket, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police, is likely to submit the chargesheet in the court on Monday.
According to sources privy to the ongoing investigations by the SIT, the detailed chargesheet in the case will be submitted before the court in Indore on Monday.
Earlier, on Saturday, the statements of Harbhajan Singh, the suspended Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) official – who had lodged the case of blackmailing and extortion against the five women on September 18, that brought the alleged high-profile racket into light – were recorded in the case before the trial court.
The accused women (presently in judicial custody in Indore) too were produced before the same court via video conference call, informed sources added.
All five women were arrested by the police from Indore and Bhopal on September 18. A man who drove the car of the arrested women too was arrested the same day along with the women.
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Subsequent probe brought to the fore that the IMC official was just one of the many rich and influential men, including politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen who were allegedly honey-trapped by the racket operated by women to secure whopping monetary gains, win government contracts or help their clients get benefits from the government.
Bounty on newspaper owner who published exposé on the racket now raised to Rs One Lakh
The rewards on the arrest of Indore-based absconding businessman Jeetu Soni has been raised from Rs 30,000 to Rs One Lakh.
It was Sanjha Lokswami tabloid owned by Soni which had last month published series of exposés about links of a powerful former bureaucrat, suspended IMC official Harbhajan Singh and a former MP minister with the alleged racket.
Subsequently, the suspended IMC official Harbhajan Singh had filed a case under the IT Act against Jeetu Soni and his editor son Amit Soni, which was followed by overnight searches at the commercial and residential premises owned by Soni.
Since then more than 40 cases have been registered against the father-son duo and aides pertaining to blackmailing, extortion, human trafficking of women from North East and Bengal and capturing of properties owned by others.
Multiple properties of Soni that were built by squatting public land or flouting building norms, including the Sanjha Lokswami office, hotels, bars and restaurants, besides commercial and residential premises of Jeetu Soni’s brothers have been demolished in Indore.
A lookout notice has been also been issued to prevent Jeetu Soni from escaping the country, but he continues to be on the run.
Over 40 persons have so far been arrested, including Soni’s son Amit, and key aides, and husbands of the women who were allegedly trafficked to dance in the My Home bar-restaurant.
While reiterating resolve of zero tolerance against land sharks and other types of mafia in the state, CM Kamal Nath had recently given the police free hand to act against all kinds of mafia elements and had also said that unethical practices won’t be allowed under the garb of journalism.