74-yr-old Delhi businessman falls prey to honey trap in Mumbai, loses 18 lakh

A honeytrapping case has come to light from Malvani Police Station in Mumbai, wherein a 74-year-old Delhi-based businessman was extorted for ₹18 lakh. The aged victim was trapped by a woman, who is now on the run. Acting quickly, the police have filed an extortion case and launched a search for the accused. Officials suspect that the woman might have had a co-accused in carrying out this scam.

How the scam took place

In a complaint submitted to the police by the victim on March 7, the woman met the businessman, who has connections to the medical sector, through an acquaintance. The acquaintance recommended that she might be able to find him companionship and gave him the number of a woman called Reshma alias Pannu Singh. Claiming to assist him in finding an ideal partner, Singh showed him pictures of various women and even arranged meetings. However, the victim did not show interest in any of them.

Betrayal and blackmail

In March 2023, Singh brought him in contact with a married woman whose photo the businessman liked. In May 2023, he went from Delhi to Mumbai purely to meet her. They had their first encounter at a Malad resort after which they established an even closer relationship during a visit to a Goa hotel.

With time, the woman began demanding enormous amounts of money. She first coaxed him to buy a swanky ₹4 crore flat, but he denied her. Later, she asked him to go to Malad East, and there she went ahead and falsely accused him of rape at the Dindoshi Police Station. Based on this false complaint, she blackmailed him and got ₹18.5 lakh in a period of one year.

Police launch manhunt for the accused

Following the complaint by the businessman, Malvani Police filed a case of fraud and extortion against the accused. The authorities have initiated an investigation and are actively looking for the woman. They believe that she might have had an accomplice who helped her execute the scam.