LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court has sought a thorough investigation to trace gangs allegedly using women to honeytrap men and extort money through blackmail.
A division bench of the Allahabad High Court, comprising Justice JJ Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena, on March 30 observed that if offences like these are permitted to continue, it would become difficult to live in a decent world.
The bench also directed the government of Uttar Pradesh, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Director General of Police, and Inspector General of Meerut Zone, to trace such gangs.
The bench issued the directives while hearing a writ petition filed in one such incident in Bijnor district, involving a woman and three others, including two police constables and a local politician. The four were allegedly part of a honeytrap gang that targeted a local businessman through the woman.
All four had approached the court seeking relief in the case lodged against them. The counsel for the petitioner also requested that the petition be withdrawn, and the bench allowed it.
But the division bench observed, “… This is a matter which discloses a very pernicious state of affairs in society. The first petitioner [the woman accused] reached the third respondent [the alleged victim of honeytrap] over his WhatsApp and honey-trapped him, doing sweet talk. She called him over to a certain place in Bijnor, took him to a hotel, where she had carnal relations with him.”
The bench added, “During the escapade, she captured some video clips of the informant and resorted to blackmail. The other petitioners, who are said to be in connivance with the first petitioner, all men, are policemen. They are petitioners nos. 4 and 5, Lalu Yadav and Punit Tyagi. Petitioner no. 3 in this case, Shahbej alias Shanu, is a ward member (local politician), who was also involved with the first petitioner in the crime.”
“After the video was captured, it was passed on to the third petitioner [politician], who called the informant [the victim] to his place, where the two policemen were also there. They inquired if the informant… knew the first petitioner and showed him the video clip that had been deceitfully captured,” the court observed.
Then, a demand of Rs 10 lakh was made by the petitioners, saying that the woman in the video clip with him wanted it. However, the deal was struck at Rs 8 lakh. The man said he was under great anxiety, mixed up with emotions of fear and shame.
As the blackmailing progressed, he did not handover the money but reported the case to the police, the court stated in its observation.
The bench observed, “This is a very serious matter. While we accept the petitioners’ (the accused) prayer to withdraw this writ petition, we are of the opinion, on our own motion, that it requires thorough investigation to be undertaken by the Inspector General of Police of Meerut Zone. He shall alert the entire district police chiefs in the zone to maintain strict vigil if a gang of this kind is operating, or other gangs are also operating, blackmailing innocent people by utilising women for springing a honey trap, or in some other way, bringing about the same results.”
“The petition is dismissed as withdrawn, but not without the directions that we have made above,” the judges stated in their order.