Bank Manager Visits Woman He Met On Instagram, Finds Extortion Trap

An alleged honey-trapping and blackmailing racket has been busted, and three men and two women have been arrested in Assam's Jorhat district. The action followed a complaint filed on October 2 by a private bank manager from Tinsukia, said the officer-in-charge of Jorhat Sadar Police Station, Hrishikesh Hazarika.

Police said the complainant had met a woman from Jorhat through Instagram in July and developed a relationship through social media. On August 14, the woman allegedly called him to Jorhat. The bank manager reportedly arrived in Jorhat around 1 am and met her. She then took him to a rented house in the Seoni Ali area, the victim said in the complaint.

While they were inside, unidentified men knocked on the door. They barged in after the woman opened the door, started filming the bank manager, and threatened him with sharing the video on social media and with his family members, the complainant said.

The accused allegedly demanded Rs 2 lakh from the bank manager, police said. Out of fear, he allegedly paid the amount. He even gave them a lakh more after a subsequent demand by the accused.

The bank manager paid Rs 3 lakh to the gang, police sources said, adding that the suspects went on to demand Rs 5 lakh more from him. Amid repeated threats, he eventually approached Jorhat Police and informed them about the alleged extortion.

Last Friday, police arrested two men in Jorhat in connection with the case. They were identified as Sanjib Das and Ankit Paul, residents of the Garmur area. A court has sent them to judicial custody.

During the investigation, police identified Moromi Das Neog as the alleged mastermind of the racket. A police team was subsequently sent to Dibrugarh in search of her. Police initially failed to locate her but later acted on a specific lead and arrested her.

Another woman, identified as Baby Bora, and her husband, Ankit Bora, too have been arrested for their alleged role in the case.

The police suspect that the alleged gang specifically targeted financially well-off individuals, including businessmen.