The Soladevanahalli police have arrested three people for running a honeytrap racket.
The accused have been identified as Arpitha B.N., 22, her boyfriend Pavan Kumar, 25, and Siddhartha, 45, all residents of Chikkabanavara. According to the police, Arpitha would open a fake account on social media to befriend people. After getting to know them, she would invite them to her house where their meeting would be recorded. “As per their plan, Pavan and Siddhartha would barge into the house pretending to be either from the police or the media and threaten to register a case of immoral trafficking unless they paid up,” a senior police officer said. “They have robbed many people,” the police said.
However, a grocery shop owner from whom Arpitha had borrowed money and tried to entrap him, approached the police. While he was at the house, the men pretending to be the police barged into the room demanding gold jewellery worth ₹1.3 lakh that he had on him. They also forced him to withdraw ₹55,000 from the ATM. Not satisfied, the accused started blackmailing him for more money. The shopkeeper then approached the police.
