Kumar Bahukhandi
Police are now searching for Deepa’s absconding partner (Photo: ITG)
Police in Belagavi, Karnataka, have arrested a fashion designer for allegedly defrauding wealthy men through social media. The accused woman allegedly contacted people on Instagram and Facebook, lured them to lodges, and then fled with cash, jewelry, and cars when she found an opportunity. Police recovered property worth approximately ₹32.86 lakh (approximately $32.86 million USD)
An alleged honey-trap gang targeting wealthy men through social media has been uncovered in Belagavi, Karnataka. Police have arrested a fashion designer in connection with the case. She is accused of contacting people on social media, luring them into a trap, and then fleeing with their money and valuables.
This is how the fashion designer used to rob men (Photo: ITG)
A fashion designer by profession, she works as a burglar.
According to police, the arrested accused has been identified as 33-year-old Deepa Avatigi, a resident of Mahalingapur in Bagalkot district and reportedly a fashion designer by profession. The operation was carried out by a team from the Tilakwadi police station in Belagavi.
Trapped wealthy men through social media.
Investigation has revealed that the accused woman first befriended wealthy and influential men on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. After intensifying the conversation, she would invite them to a lodge to meet. According to police, once the victim gained her trust, she would send them out of the room on some pretext or another, taking advantage of the situation and fleeing with cash, gold, bags, and even a car.
First, robbery, then blackmailing.
Not only this, it is alleged that she would later call the victims and demand money from them. She claimed to return the car and other items if the money was paid, but threatened to file a police complaint against them if they didn’t.
Property worth ₹32.86 lakh recovered
The case came to light when a victim filed a complaint at the Tilakwadi police station. Following this, the police launched an investigation and, based on technical evidence, tracked the accused. They recovered property worth approximately ₹32.86 lakh from the accused’s possession. The seized items included a Toyota Fortuner, a Maruti Suzuki S-Cross car, 11 mobile phones, a tablet, a dongle, three car keys, and ₹14,000 in cash.
Another person involved in the honeytrap
According to the police, another accused named Shivanand Matapati, a resident of Hukkeri in Belagavi district, is also involved in this case. He is currently absconding and is being searched for. Police say he was the one who provided information about wealthy individuals to the woman. At present, the police is investigating the entire matter and trying to find out how many people this gang has made its victims so far.
