Four individuals, including a young woman, were arrested on Monday for allegedly operating an extortion racket that targeted young men. Police reported that the victims were often honey-trapped through various dating apps and subsequently kidnapped or confined for ransom.
According to Additional CP (I) Murlidhar Sharma, the incident began when a young man from Baghajatin Colony befriended the female accused via a dating app. They arranged to meet at a hotel in Patuli on Sunday. Upon arrival, he was detained by two men in the hotel room, threatened, and taken to another location in the Golf Green area.
At the new location, he was coerced into calling his mother to demand Rs1 lakh as ransom. The victim, who initially tried to resist, was reportedly assaulted with sticks and rods. His mother promptly reported the incident to the police.
The Anti-Rowdy Squad of the detective department intervened, leading to the arrest of Saikat Paul and Babusona Mondal, who were caught riding the victim’s motorcycle while attempting to collect the ransom. Police later located the victim at an address in Aurobindo Nagar, where he had been confined.
The victim was successfully rescued, and two additional suspects, Peter D’cruze and Anisha Das, were also arrested. Initially, a case was registered under Section 140(2) of the BNS (kidnapping), which has since been amended to include additional charges.
