Woman threatens man of false rape case, extorts Rs 90 lakh; held

The police laid a trap. They asked the victim to fix a meeting with Das, a police spokesperson said.

On Sunday, a 24-year-old woman entered a cafe in Gururam’s Sector 47, hoping to walk out with Rs 50,000 — unaware that plainclothes policemen were watching her from a table nearby.

The team of officers from Sadar police station caught her red-handed as she was being handed the money, in marked currency notes, and put an end to a man’s alleged three-year extortion ordeal.

The accused, identified as Suryadita Das, who hails from West Bengal and currently resides in Sushant Lok, was arrested after a corporate employee alleged that she had blackmailed him into paying approximately Rs 90 lakh having threatened him of framing him in a false rape case.

ACP (Crime) Naveen Sharma on Tuesday said the complainant and the accused first connected around three years ago on Seeking, a dating platform. “The two came in contact through the app, exchanged phone numbers and remained in touch for nearly three years. They traveled together to multiple places and developed a relationship,” the ACP said.

According to the police, Das later began coercing the man into parting with significant sums of money. Providing a breakdown of the extorted funds, Sharma said, “The accused took approximately Rs 60-65 lakh in cash in intermittent installments and another Rs 10-15 lakh through bank transfers, totaling around Rs 90 lakh. Even after that, she continued demanding more money.”

Asked why the complainant waited three years before approaching the police, the ACP said the delay stemmed from a fear of public dishonour. “The complainant remained in deep fear that his social standing, family name, and personal reputation would be ruined,” Sharma said, adding that he eventually filed a complaint on October 4 as the woman kept pressing for more money.

The police laid a trap. They asked the victim to fix a meeting with Das, a police spokesperson said.

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Officers in plain clothes kept a watch. Das was caught accepting the money — the notes carried pre-recorded initials and signatures put by the police, officers said.

Das, who completed her MBA from SGT University, works at a private firm, police said.

On whether Das was part of an organised racket, ACP Sharma said, “So far, it appears that she did this alone.”

“We are verifying if she has targeted other people as well and if any complaint or case of a similar nature has been registered against her.”

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Das was produced before a local court Sunday that remanded her into two-day police custody. The Gurugram police have frozen around Rs 95 lakh in her bank account.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, police said.

Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana. Education - Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020) - B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019) Professional Experience Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features. Reporting Interests His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon. Recent Coverage (2025) - Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025). - Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025). - Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025). - Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram. - Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025). - Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025). Contact X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More

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