A 74-year-old Delhi resident was allegedly trapped in a honeytrap, blackmailed, and extorted for ₹18 lakh by a woman in Mumbai. Malvani Police have launched a search for the accused, who is currently absconding. The elderly man filed a complaint on Friday, and police suspect that the woman had an accomplice in the crime.
According to the complaint, the victim is a 74-year-old businessman from Delhi associated with the medical field. A known acquaintance advised him to seek female companionship and provided him with the contact number of a woman named Reshma alias Pannu Singh. The acquaintance assured the victim that Singh would help him find a suitable companion.
Singh initially showed the victim pictures of several women and even arranged meetings, but he was not interested in any of them. In March 2023, Singh introduced him to a married woman from Malvani, whose photo the victim liked. By May 2023, the victim traveled from Delhi to Mumbai specifically to meet her. They met at a resort in Malad, developed a close friendship, and later spent time together at a hotel in Goa, strengthening their emotional bond.
Following this, the woman and the victim continued communicating frequently over the phone, and she began demanding money. She first asked for a luxury apartment worth ₹4 crore, but the victim refused. Later, she invited him to meet in Malad East. During their meeting, she filed a rape complaint against him at Dindoshi Police Station.
Using this false complaint as leverage, the woman started blackmailing the victim. Over a year, she extorted ₹18.5 lakh from him. The situation took a turn when an unknown woman called the victim and claimed to have evidence proving that he had been trapped in a honeytrap. This woman also possessed audio recordings of conversations between the accused and her associates. After listening to these recordings, the victim realized he had been set up.
He submitted all the evidence to Malvani Police, who have now registered a case of extortion against the accused woman. However, she remains absconding, and police efforts are underway to trace her whereabouts.