Honeytrap gang targets doctors, engineers in Jabalpur:Victims allege accused pose as journalists and file FIRs when demands are not met

Extorting money by scaring people in the name of girls is an old tactic of this gang. If money is not arranged, they threaten to send people to jail in false cases. This is what Shashi Kant Soni, a resident of Right Town in Jabalpur and a victim of the gang, says. After Jabalpur police arrested Praveen Singh and his associates on Tuesday, several other victims also began coming forward. Soni claims that if the police conduct a deeper investigation, a large network may come to light that specifically targets doctors, engineers, and financially well-off individuals. According to him, the gang had earlier trapped him in a false rape case, and an FIR was filed against him. However, the court later acquitted him. Meanwhile, Sanjeevani Nagar police arrested Praveen Singh, a resident of Ranji, along with his two associates near Kachhpura Bridge on Tuesday night. They are accused of blackmailing a doctor and demanding Rs 36 lakh from him. Case 1: Rape case filed in Bhopal Shashikant Soni said that in 2022, a young woman filed a complaint with Bhopal police alleging that she had been raped on the pretext of getting a job in the municipal corporation. Praveen Singh and his associates were involved in the matter. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against Soni at TT Nagar police station in Bhopal and an investigation began. During the investigation, police found that on the day the rape complaint was filed, the young woman’s location was Jabalpur, not Bhopal, while Soni was in Bhopal. The investigation report was presented in court, which later acquitted Soni. The CGM court accepted that the complaint was false and found no evidence supporting the rape allegation. FIRs filed if money is not paid Case 2: Rs 2 lakh demanded in another case Legal notice over bribery allegations Recently, a legal notice was sent to Pawan Singh Devak and Praveen Singh regarding allegations of taking Rs 5 lakh against the in-charge of the Bargi police outpost. Advocate K.K. Tripathi said the notice was issued by the husband of the female sub-inspector. The notice stated that both individuals had falsely accused the officer of protecting an accused in a case involving a minor girl. The case related to a 14-year-old girl from Bargi Nagar who had accused her tutor, Mahesh Verma. During the investigation, several questions were raised about the girl’s allegations, prompting a detailed inquiry. Allegations of spreading defamatory rumors In the notice, the SI’s husband Chanchlesh Patel stated that Pawan Singh Devak and Praveen Singh had deliberately prepared and circulated false and defamatory allegations against his wife. The notice warned that if they did not seek an unconditional apology, withdraw their complaints, and remove the defamatory material, legal action, including criminal and civil defamation would be initiated in the Jabalpur court. Doctor threatened with rape and POCSO case Accused claimed to be journalists ASP Pallavi Dubey said that the accused were arrested following the complaint of Dr. Amit Khare. They had been threatening him with a rape FIR if he did not pay money. Sanjeevani Nagar police arrested Praveen Singh, Pawan Kumar, and Brajesh in the case. During interrogation, the accused claimed they were journalists. However, verification with the Public Relations Officer confirmed that they were not journalists. Police presented all three accused in court on Wednesday, after which they were sent to jail.