Sex, lies & videotapes

Sexual exploits are coming back to haunt well-to-do men like never before. With rape laws stacked heavily in favour of women, many men who get into sexual arrangements have ended up shelling out fortunes in a bid to save their reputation, marriage and careers.

Two days ago, the APMC police in Navi Mumbai arrested three members of a gang, including two women, who were allegedly involved in several sexual blackmailing and extortion cases. The gang, led a by senior politician in the satellite city, would make prospective victims walk into well-planned honey traps and then start blackmailing them, demanding up to Rs 2 crore. Three members of the gang, including the politician, are still on the run. The victims generally are high-profile real estate developers.

What's the gang's modus operandi?
It depends. Sometimes, women members of the gang would invite affluent people to hotels. Over a number of sexual encounters, they would gain the confidence of the men and then claim they are pregnant. On other occasions, some other members of the gang would 'raid' and catch the couple red-handed. The man is then taken to the politician's office for settling the case. They would assault the victim and threaten to register a rape case against him if he does not pay the money demanded. These are just two methods.

Any live examples of how they trap men?
Once, the gang took the nude picture of a Nerul resident and threatened to send them to his wife. if he did not pay up. "He paid Rs 42 lakh," said Kishore Patkar, a corporator from Vashi. The Nerul man did not register an FIR, Suresh Mengade, DCP (crime), said. In another case last month, a television executive had to sell part of his property and take personal loans to put together Rs 1 crore to pay off a woman who had come seeking a role from him. She got close to him and eventually blackmailed him. In another case, a recovery woman of a bank threatened to file a rape case against a Goregaon resident, who was alone at home last Friday. "He, however, skillfully recorded the entire episode on his mobile phone and later showed it to the police. The Gokuldham police have registered a case against the woman," said Hemant Sharma, head of NGO Sahayak.

How did the police get to know about the gang?
"We received a complaint from a man who had paid Rs 87,000. He was asked to pay Rs 10 lakh. The same gang had extorted Rs 21 lakh from a Khandeshwar resident." The DCP Suresh Mengade believes this is just tip of the iceberg and the spoils from this racket could run into crores.

What sections of law are being misused?
"This case is a classic example of how fraudsters -- mainly women, or with women as the face of the racket -- extort crores abusing the rape law (Section 376 of IPC) and harassment law (Section 498 of IPC). This gang reportedly have 12-13 women and it's their full-time business to implicate people and extort money," said Kishore Patkar, a corporator from Vashi. "Such women help the so-called activists to take advantage of the loopholes in the Indian judicial system, which allows them to register a rape case months after an intercourse. Police investigations have now revealed that many of those cases were actually consensual sex and not rape," Patkar said.

Has any victim narrated his tale?
Yes. Dinesh Rathod, a Vashi resident, who was made a scapegoat by this gang. "I fell into the honeytrap on August 11. The gang took me to their office at Sector 11 and ordered that I transfer my flat into their name. When I refused, I was brutally assaulted. They initially demanded Rs 2 crore, which was lowered to Rs 50 lakh. I paid them Rs 5 lakh. They then kept harassing me, asking for the rest. This gang claims to be members of NGO, politicians, lawyers, etc," he said.

What about sexual harassment at workplaces?
"It has been observed that those who are really harassed at workplaces hardly approach the police as they are scared of losing their jobs. Many of those who register FIRs, do it just to take revenge. Hence, each case should be studied meticulously to separate the grain from the chaff," said Vrushali Magdum, president, Navi Mumbai Swayam Sevi Sanghatana.

What are activists saying?
Vrushali Magdum, president, Navi Mumbai Swayam Sevi Sanghatana, says: "It is very harmful to society at large. If such anti-social elements keep registering false cases to serve their vested interests, those who are really harassed or sexually assaulted may not get the required attention from the police. Police should therefore investigate a case properly before deciding what is right and what it wrong."