A sub-inspector attached with Mahila Police Station (East) in Ahmedabad was arrested by the Ahmedabad Police Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Sunday in a “honey trapping” case.
According to police, PSI J K Brahmbhatt was arrested on the charges of criminal conspiracy for allegedly assisting a gang involved in “honey trapping” city businessmen and later threatening them with fake rape FIRs. Earlier, the DCB had arrested inspector GH Pathan and woman head constable Sharda Khant along with five private persons, including three women, who were part of a gang.
Police said the modus operandi of the gang involved befriending Ahmedabad-based businessmen with fake Facebook accounts, calling them for a meet in the city and later filing fake FIRs of rape and Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by allegedly acting in cahoots with the police team at Mahila Police Station (East) in Shahibaug of Ahmedabad, led by GH Pathan PI.
“A number of victims approached the senior police officials with written complaint against the gang and police team of Mahila East police station after which a probe was conducted by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mahila Crime Branch) in the case. According to police, many FIRs of rape filed at the police station were found quashed after monetary settlement between rape accused and rape victim.
“A total of four complaints were sent to senior police officials regarding businessmen being charged in fake rape cases and during investigation, we found several FIRs of rape with similar content filed in them. Pathan and Khant were arrested. As per probe, Brahmbhatt’s role was to intimidate the accused of rape cases on phone and call them to the police station,” said a senior official of Ahmedabad Police DCB.
Other five accused were all arrested between March and May this year after a 45-year-old businessman submitted a complaint against a fake rape case charged against him in September 2020.