Keep record of honey-trap complaints: HC

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

Honey-trap racket is all set to turn bitter for the blackmailers with the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing superintendents of police at all district headquarters in Haryana to maintain a record of complainants registering more than one rape complaint. Directions have also been issued to the police to maintain record of complaints by honey-trap victims. The court made it clear that the direction would keep a check and protect innocent citizens.

Probe unveils racket

The directions came in a case wherein the Sonepat DSP, Headquarters, after probing a case, submitted that a woman and her co-accused were involved in running a honey-trap racket and blackmailing people by threatening to implicate them in false rape cases.

The directions by Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan came in a case wherein the Sonepat DSP, Headquarters, after probing a case, submitted that a woman and her co-accused were involved in running a honey-trap racket and blackmailing people by threatening to implicate them in false rape cases.

The matter was brought to Justice Sangwan’s notice after the woman sought grant of regular bail in a case registered on October 21, 2020, for criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, extortion and other offences at the Murthal police station in Sonepat district

Justice Sangwan, during the course of hearing, was told the circumstances suggested that four persons, along with the petitioner-woman, had been running a racket and would blackmail people by threatening to implicate them in false rape cases. In the case in hand, the victim was called to a flat and Rs 20 lakh was demanded after threatening to lodge a false rape case against him. His car keys and mobilephone were returned after Rs 1,50,000 was paid. Again, Rs 53,000 was demanded, following which the complainant lodged the FIR. As a counter, a false rape case was registered at the Murthal police station on October 29, 2020.

Justice Sangwan directed a blanket ban on the registration of rape or molestation cases on the complaint of the petitioner-woman and her co-accused without conducting a thorough inquiry into the matter.

“A direction is issued to the Haryana DGP to communicate to all SPs that in case, in future, any FIR is registered (lodged) at the instance of the petitioner-woman and three co-accused levelling allegations of rape, no FIR will be registered, unless the matter is thoroughly inquired,” Justice Sangwan asserted.

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