Honey trap attempt lands 5 in police custody

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: Bannerghatta police have arrested five persons who allegedly lured a resident by introducing him to a woman and then robbed him of his valuables in the city.

The accused have been identified by the police as Yaseen, 20, a resident of Bommanahalli, Ruthik alias Vishnu, 23, a resident of Gottigere, Shahid, 23, from BDA Layout, Mohammed Asif, 22, and Irfan, 21, from JP Nagar in Bengaluru. According to the police, a resident of JP Nagar, Shashank, got introduced to a woman on Instagram and developed intimacy following which the woman asked him to meet her.

"The woman allegedly asked the victim to come near Hakki-Pikki Colony in Bannerghatta. However, when the victim reached the place, he was surrounded by the youths who allegedly attacked him with wooden logs and sticks," an officer from the Bannerghatta Police Station said. In his complaint to police, the victim alleged that the miscreants robbed him of his mobile phone, a gold ring and a gold chain.

Taking the matter seriously, the police began investigation and initially took Ruthik alias Vishnu into custody. It was revealed that he was a classmate of the victim. After further inter ro g ation, Vishnu confessed to have looted Shashank and revealed the details of the other accused based on which the other four were arrested by the police.

Police said that the prime accused, Ruthik, had planned to extort money from Shashank, who is learning to be a priest, thinking that he would not approach the police. The police claimed to have seized one iPhone, gold ornaments including earring, chain, finger ring, a 7-gram gold nugget along with two bikes from the accused person's possession.