A local BSP functionary and a woman were arrested in Greater Noida on Friday for allegedly trying to "honey-trap" a former Uttar Pradesh minister in the Mayawati government and malign his image, police said on Friday.

"The woman would repeatedly use WhatsApp to call and text him. She wanted to meet him so that she could get their pictures clicked together and extort money from him," a police official said.

A case was lodged at the Badalpur police station and the phone number was tracked down to Usha (name changed). It emerged that she was working on instructions of Updesh Nagar, a local BSP functionary, the official said.

"Usha and Updesh Nagar were arrested on Friday from the Bisrakh mod chowki under the Badalpur police station area," he added.

During interrogation, the woman admitted that she was working on instructions of Updesh Nagar, who wanted to settle a score with Kartar Nagar, the official said.

"Updesh Nagar told the police that one of his relatives was to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Gautam Buddh Nagar on a BSP ticket, but Kartar Nagar had got his nomination cancelled at the last moment using his influence and alleging that the candidate had a rape case against him," he added.

According to the police, Updesh Nagar wanted the woman to "honey-trap" the former minister and take their pictures together in order to malign his image.

"The woman was told that they would ask for Rs 2 crore from Kartar Nagar and she would get her share from that, to which she had agreed," the police official said.

The woman and Updesh Nagar were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 384 (extortion) and 507 (criminal intimidation) and produced before a local court, the police said.

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