New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Saturday busted an organised honey-trap and extortion racket involved in impersonating police officials and extorting money from unsuspecting victims through dating applications and social media platforms such as Tinder and QuackQuack. Four accused persons have been arrested in connection with the case.
According to a press release issued by the Crime Branch on Saturday, the accused were arrested in connection with FIR No. 124/2026 registered under Sections 140(3), 308(6), 319(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Crime Branch.
The operation was carried out by the ER-II unit of the Crime Branch following specific intelligence inputs regarding a gang involved in honey-trapping and extortion while posing as police officials. The information was developed by ASI Ashok, following which a special team comprising SI Inderveer Singh, ASI Ashok, ASI Ashwani, ASI Somnath, Head Constable Deepak, and Head Constable Pooja was formed under the supervision of Inspector Pawan Kumar and overall supervision of ACP Narender Beniwal.
On May 12, the police team laid a trap near Kalyan Jewellers in Rajouri Garden. During the operation, the suspected vehicle was intercepted. Although three accused initially managed to flee from the spot, one accused, identified as Sushil Kumar, a resident of Dharampura in Najafgarh, Delhi, aged 53 years, was apprehended along with the victim. Police said the accused was wearing a fake police uniform at the time of arrest.
During sustained interrogation, Sushil Kumar disclosed the names of his associates as Deepak alias Sajan, Neeraj Tyagi alias Dhiru, Vinod Pandit, and Kirti. Based on the complaint lodged by the victim, a resident of Delhi, the present FIR was registered.
Subsequently, the Crime Branch team arrested the remaining accused who had fled from the scene. The arrested accused were identified as Deepak, a resident of Sonipat, Haryana; Vinod, a resident of Uttam Nagar, Delhi; and Neeraj, a resident of Tilak Nagar, Delhi.
Police said efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the remaining gang members identified as Gagan and Pooja alias Kirti.
During the investigation, police found that the gang members created fake female profiles on dating applications such as Tinder and QuackQuack to lure unsuspecting victims. After establishing contact online, female associates of the gang would invite victims to meet at public places.
The victims were then taken to rented flats or isolated locations, where other gang members staged fake police raids. One of the accused would impersonate a police official by wearing a fake police uniform to create fear and legitimacy. The gang allegedly threatened the victims with false criminal cases, including rape allegations, and extorted large sums of money as “settlement” amounts.
In the present case, the complainant told police that he came into contact with a woman named “Kirti” through Tinder. She allegedly called him to meet at Haldiram in Janakpuri and later took him to a flat along with another associate. At the location, four persons, including one dressed in a fake police uniform, threatened to implicate him in a false rape case and demanded Rs 15 lakh.
Police said the accused forcibly confined the complainant in his Maruti Ciaz car and drove him around continuously while pressuring him to arrange cash and withdraw money from ATMs.
Further investigation revealed that three accused — Neeraj, Vinod, and Deepak — were previously involved in a similar case registered at Bindapur Police Station. Sushil Kumar was also arrested in 2017 in another case involving a similar modus operandi.
Police said Sushil Kumar, a graduate who works as a property dealer, joined the racket to earn easy money and allegedly received 15 per cent of the extorted amount for impersonating a police official during fake raids.
Deepak alias Sajan, educated up to Class 12, was residing in a rented accommodation in Krishna Puri, Tilak Nagar. Police said he was allegedly addicted to gambling and had suffered heavy financial losses. His role was to create fake female profiles and establish contact with targets on dating applications. In the present case, he allegedly posed as “Kirti” while communicating with the complainant.
Vinod Pandit, aged around 57 years and educated up to Class 8, allegedly joined the racket to earn easy money, while Neeraj Tyagi, alias Dhiru, aged around 44 years and educated up to Class 10, previously sold clothes in weekly markets in the Tilak Nagar area before joining the gang.
Delhi Police have advised citizens to remain cautious while interacting with unknown persons through social media and dating applications. Police also urged people not to visit isolated places with strangers and to immediately report any suspicious activity or extortion attempt.
–IANS
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