South Mumbai's businessman honey trapped twice, lose Rs 25 lakh; cops nab four

A Peddar Road based businessman became a victim of honeytrap twice in April and May. In both the cases, the victim received calls from two unknown women, who befriended him and later met in person. 

On both the occasions, police landed up at the woman's residence claiming they had raided the place and forced the victim to cough up money. After having given Rs 25 lakh, the victim realised that this was no coincidence and lodged a police complaint. Gamdevi police have arrested four persons, including a woman in the crime.

Those arrested have been identified as Ayub Khan, Ganesh Solanki, Raghvendra Otagire, and Reena Sumasti alias Dalia.

Explaining the case, an officer from Gamdevi Police Station said, the victim, a resident of Peddar Road, had received a phone call from an unknown woman, in March. The woman said she had received the victim's number from his friend. They then began talking regularly.

"The woman insisted victim to meet her, which the former agreed. The victim then met the caller at a building at Amboli. There were three women present in the said house and were having alcohol. After some time, two people came to the flat claiming to be policemen. They said they have raided the place and the victim will have to go to jail. They demanded Rs 10 lakh from the victim for not taking any action. A frightened victim then agreed to pay Rs 5 lakh. One of the accused then travelled with the victim in a local train and came to Babulnath from where the victim withdrew Rs 5 lakh from a bank and gave to the accused," said a police officer.

In the first week of May, the victim again received a phone call from a woman who identified herself as Anita Mistry. The victim told the woman that she called a wrong person, but she struck up a conversation. 

The woman, who claimed to be a Dahisar resident, sought more details about him and they began talking regularly. On May 5, the woman insisted victim to meet her at Dahisar claiming that it was her birthday, said the police.

"The woman then called the victim to a flat where three other women were already present who she introduced as her paying guests. While they were having alcohol, the same person who had exploited the victim at Andheri claiming to be a policeman reached the flat stating that the police have raided the said flat as there was a complaint of prostitution. The officer then asked the victim to give his address so that his family can be informed. Frightened, the victim got ready to settle the issue for Rs 10 lakh. The second male accomplice then accompanied the victim at Babulnath from where the victim paid him 10 lakh. On July 11, the accused met the victim and demanded more money after which victim gave him another Rs 10 lakh," the officer said.

The victim consulted his advocate friend, who told him that he seems to have been duped by a gang and advised him to lodge a police complaint.

"We checked CCTV footage of the bank from where the victim had made withdrawals and got a photograph of one of the suspects. Meanwhile, we have nabbed Khan, Solanki, and Otagire who claimed to be policemen and also nabbed Sumasti, who had met the victim at Andheri. We are on the lookout for two more women in the case. Those arrested have been booked on charges of cheating, impersonation and criminal conspiracy. The accused people are under police custody," the officer said.