Honeytrap scandal in Maharashtra: Over 70 senior officials allegedly targeted
opposition demands probe
Mumbai: A massive honeytrap scandal has reportedly rocked Maharashtra, with allegations that between 72 to 75 senior government officials, including bureaucrats, police officers, and politicians, have been ensnared in an elaborate extortion scheme. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has demanded a high-level investigation into the matter, citing potential risks to national security and administrative integrity.
Raising the issue in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, senior Congress leader and former Speaker Nana Patole urged the government to act swiftly. “This is a serious matter. If confidential documents fall into the hands of anti-national elements due to this honeytrap, it would be a grave lapse,” he warned. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed the government to take note of the issue.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase echoed the concern, claiming the network of honeytraps extends across key urban centers like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nashik. He alleged that the victims include high-ranking government officials and politicians, raising "serious questions about the vulnerability of our governance apparatus.”
Tapase asked: “Why is the government silent on the media reports? How did this operation manage to target so many high-profile individuals without early detection? Why did intelligence agencies fail to act? What measures are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future?”
According to Tapase, the alleged mastermind behind the racket is from Nashik and is reportedly a former office-bearer of a political party. He detailed a modus operandi involving women posing as distressed individuals who gradually gained the trust of officials, then secretly recorded compromising photos and videos, using them to extort victims with threats of false rape charges.
Social activist Vijay Kumbhar added that many of the alleged incidents occurred in a luxury hotel in Nashik. “One woman has already lodged a complaint at the Mumbai Naka Police Station,” he said, questioning the silence of the Chief Minister and the inaction of the State Intelligence Department.
“If this is true, it’s disgraceful. If it’s false, why is no action being taken against those spreading misinformation? Either way, the government’s silence reeks of rot,” Kumbhar stated.
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Miscreants decamp with 70 kg silver articles from jewellery shop in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Unidentified miscreants allegedly broke into a jewellery shop here and decamped with approximately 70 kg of silver articles worth crores of rupees, police said on Friday.
The incident was reported at a jewellery shop near 8th Mile, Havanur, on April 28, they said.
According to police, the accused are suspected to have entered the premises from the rear after breaking open the lock and drilling a hole through the wall of the shop.
The incident came to light at around 7 am on April 28 when shop staff opened the premises and discovered signs of forced entry and extensive damage to the rear section of the building, following which they alerted police authorities.
Preliminary estimates indicate that around 70 kg of silver articles, worth crores, were stolen. Most of the silver items displayed in the cupboards were taken, while valuables kept in the locker remained intact, a senior police officer said.
Police said CCTV cameras inside the shop were not functioning. Efforts are underway to identify the suspects using footage from cameras installed in the vicinity.
The miscreants also allegedly took away the Digital Video Recorder (of CCTV) of an adjacent shop, the officer added.
Investigators are also examining the tools and techniques used to gain access to the shop, suspecting the involvement of a professional gang with prior knowledge of the store layout.
A case has been registered at Bagalagunte Police Station, and further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend the accused, police said.
