PANJIM: The Goa Police Department has constituted a 12-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Aslam Khan, IPS, to investigate into the honey trap cases unearthed in August this year.
Besides, DIG Aslam Khan, North SP Nidhin Valsan, SP (Traffic) Akshat Kaushal, SP (EOC) Sunita Sawant, Panjim DySP Sudesh Naik, PIs Rahul Parab, Satish Padwalkar and Reema Naik, PSIs Pragati Malik and Sonam Vernekar are also members of the SIT.
In August this year, two women and their male accomplice were arrested by the police on the charges of extortion in the State following accusations that they honey-trapped men and threatened them of filing fake rape charges against them to extort money from them. Cases have been filed against them at the Calangute, Colvale and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Panjim.
The incidents of implicating businessman came to light when the arrested woman attempted to withdraw her complaint at the Calangute Police Station.
This cautioned the police officers, who found that the woman had extorted money from a businessman and was not interested in filing the case.
Following this on August 28, the Calangute Police arrested the two women and their male accomplice Vishwadeep Gohil, all from Bhavnagar-Gujarat for allegedly extorting money from a Gujarat resident.
The police investigations revealed that the accused were involved in filing multiple fake rape complaints against businessmen.
The modus operandi was that the woman used to first open dating app and then share numbers with the persons after developing friendship with them mostly businessman. They then use to threaten them by filing fake case against him for the purpose of extortion.
The police investigation had so far revealed that as many as three fake rape cases were filed by the two women in the State and another two at Gujarat. However, the first fake rape complaint was filed at the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Panjim last year wherein the victim had told the police that it was a fake complaint and had told the police to check the credential of the woman complainant.
Reacting to the Goa Police constituting SIT to probe honey trap case, NGO Bailancho Saad convenor Sabina Martins said, “Any crime has to be investigated. No doubt about it. I wish the police were more active on the crimes committed against women. Here there is suspicion over the cause. The investigation has revealed that the women were blackmailing for which they set up the Special Investigation Team. But we never saw any SIT for crimes committed against women.”
Sabina said, “We do not see the same efficiency here. In this case, because the women have been blackmailing particular strata of society that is why police have constituted the SIT. Any crime has to be investigated but there should be the same efficiency in all the other crimes committed against women. Police should show the same seriousness against all the crimes committed against women.”
“So many women are coming to the police station and reporting crime. The number of women making false complaints is miniscule. Here the SIT has been constituted but what about other cases in which women have gone to the police station and lodged a complaint. Nothing has happened in those cases,” Sabina added.
Bailancho Ekvott president Auda Viegas said, “It requires investigation because if you see everything is adverse in Goa and this type of promotion of activities where you rope in innocent men and then swindle them is also wrong. I condemn it. I think police should go to the root of the problem and also see whether any other activity of this type is going on anywhere else. Humanity is humanity. Whether they are men or women, we have to be fair to all.”