On Wednesday, September 4th, the Meerut Police in Uttar Pradesh arrested another gang involved in honey trapping schemes. The group, which consisted of seven members, including two women, lured unsuspecting men by using fake Hindu identities. The individuals arrested have been identified as Asif Sayed, Aniket, Deepak, Firoz, Faheem, Ruhina (alias Simran), and Summaiyaa (alias Shalu). According to a report by Dainik Bhasker, the gang targeted Hindu men and extorted money from them through threats and manipulation.
The incident took place about a week ago when Ritesh (name changed) received an unexpected call from an unknown number around 6 PM, just as he was settling into his evening routine after returning from work. Based on the reports from Navbharat Times, the caller, an Islamist woman who introduced herself as Shalu Sharma, claimed she needed to meet him for an urgent matter. Initially dismissing it as a prank, Ritesh hung up. However, the strange call lingered in his mind, leading him to call the number back just minutes later.
When the woman answered again, Ritesh inquired about how she got his number. She explained that she had received it from her friend Ruhi, also known as Simran. Ritesh believed her explanation, and from that day on, their conversations became frequent and lengthy. Their interactions gradually deepened into a friendship. Eventually, Ritesh and Shalu decided to meet in person, scheduling their meeting for September 3, choosing a hotel in Meerut as the location.
Trapped in a hotel room
Ritesh arrived at the hotel at the appointed time. Shortly afterward, Shalu joined him, and they proceeded to the room they had booked. Initially, the two engaged in conversation, and later, they became physically intimate. As the evening approached, they decided to leave the hotel and head home. However, just as Ritesh was about to reach the hotel’s exit, a visibly anxious Shalu hurriedly approached him. She claimed that her brother and sister-in-law were waiting outside, having learned about their rendezvous. Ritesh noticed a Swift car and a Bullet motorcycle parked outside the hotel. Suddenly, three men emerged from the Swift and forcefully dragged Ritesh into the vehicle.
Demand for 10 lakh rupees
Once inside the car, the Islamist men began assaulting Ritesh and threatened him, saying he would be implicated in a rape case. They demanded 10 lakh rupees in exchange for his release. When Ritesh told them he didn’t have the money, they took his phone and tried to call his wife. However, his phone’s battery died, so they removed Ritesh’s SIM card and placed it in their own phone. They then called his wife and demanded the 10 lakh rupees. Next, they called Ritesh’s brother and warned that if the money wasn’t paid, Ritesh would be framed in a rape case.
Police arrested seven members of the gang
After holding Ritesh for some time, the group left him on a deserted road in Meerut, instructing him to arrange the money. By this point, Ritesh realized he had fallen victim to a honey trap. He immediately went to the police station and filed a complaint. The police launched an investigation and soon arrested all the members of the Islamist honey trap gang. Those arrested included Shalu, whose real name was Sumaiya, Ruhi, also known as Simran, and five men identified as Deepak, Aniket, Faheem, Asif, and Firoz.
How the honey trap gang operated
Based on the OpIndia reports, the gang members hail from various locations: one from Ghaziabad, one from Meerut, and the other five from Delhi. According to the police, the two Islamist women in the gang would initially contact their targets over the phone, engaging them with sweet conversations and gradually luring them in. Once the target was convinced, they would arrange a meeting at a hotel. The rest of the gang would wait outside the hotel, and as soon as the victim left, they would seize him. The gang would then threaten to frame the victim in a rape case and extort money from him. Deepak, one of the members, also worked as a bouncer.
This arrest has exposed a well-coordinated racket that targeted individuals through honey traps, and police are continuing investigations to uncover further details.
Several instances of Islamic coercion and violence have come to light in recent days across Uttar Pradesh. However, this is the first time a radical Islamist group operating as an extortion gang has been uncovered in the state, posing a highly alarming and threatening situation. The revelation of such an organized criminal operation highlights a dangerous shift in the tactics used by radical Islamic elements to exploit and target innocent Hindu individuals for financial gain.
