18 March,2021 07:16 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Photo for representational purpose
In a suspected case of honeytrapping, an âaspiring model' and three of her aides threatened a web series maker and extorted Rs 1.6 lakh from him in Ghatkopar recently.
The incident occurred on March 10. Pantnagar police have begun investigation but are yet to make arrests, stated a report in The Times of India.
In early March, an acquaintance told the victim, a Kandivli resident, that a starlet was keen to be cast in a series.
The filmmaker invited her for an audition on March 6. During conversation the 24-year-old âaspiring model' told him she was ready to do bold roles. Later, they got intimate.
ALSO READ
ART MUMBAI Is Back with Its Second Edition from 14th - 17th November at Mahalaxmi Racecourse
Mumbai Airport's total passenger traffic rises 4 pc in Oct
Farhad Wadia: Live music venues have grown but the challenges too have grown
'Tauba Tauba' singer Karan Aujla's Mumbai concert tickets sold for Rs 15 lakh!
Mumbai Metro-3 services resume at BKC station after firefighters douse blaze
After sometime, the woman's âboyfriend' called the victim and accused him of raping her. He also threatened to file charges against the filmmaker.
The victim tried to explain the âboyfriend' that she had consented to having relations with him, but he was not convinced. The filmmaker kept getting calls from him and was summoned to Ghatkopar on March 10.
He drove down from Kandivli in his car. At Arunkumar Vaidya Garden in Ghatkopar (East), the model and her three male associates intercepted his car and got in. The group beat him up and verbally abused him. At knifepoint, the men got him to drive the vehicle to Wadala and then to Sion.
"The two demanded Rs 4 lakh from him before snatching his phone to transfer the money from his UPI-based payment application," a police officer said. But since they were not well-versed with the app, they ended up putting wrong OTPs repeatedly and could transfer only Rs 1.4 lakh.
They made the victim halt at an ATM in Sion and forced him to withdraw Rs 20,000. After taking his money, they escaped.
The filmmaker eventually approached Kandivli police on March 13. An FIR was registered and the case was transferred to Pantnagar police station on Monday.
"He was honey-trapped. We are probing the possibility of the group similarly duping others. We are checking call data records and will make arrests soon," said an officer at Pantnagar police station.
