Mumbai, Jan 30 (IANS): Police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli have arrested a journalist and a policeman among others for allegedly running a major honey-trap sextortion racket, an official said on Monday.

The accused are: policeman Sushil Gawai, journalist Ravikant Kamble, and their accomplice Rohit Ahire, all hailing from Nagpur.

Besides, a woman associate who was part of the sextortion gang, identified only as Ishani, has also been arrested, while the police are on the lookout for another unidentified woman who is absconding.

According to a complaint lodged with the police, a government employee from Gadchiroli had gone to Nagpur on January 3 on official duties, where his old friend Gawai arranged for an accommodation at a hotel in the Hingna area of the city.

However, there were two other women already in the room, who threatened the complainant (government servant) with rape charges if he did not pay them Rs 10 lakh, and later, the other accused also joined in.

They warned him of filing a police complaint with evidence, ruining his reputation, and other dire consequences if he did not comply with their demands.

Pretending to help out, the complainant’s friend Gawai claimed that he had already paid up around Rs 2 to 3 lakh from his pocket, while Kamble had also reportedly chipped in with Rs 28,000 to silence the two women.

They demanded that the complainant should refund the money they had already allegedly paid up on his behalf, plus make arrangements for the remaining cash to save his image, and hush up the matter to avoid any legal hassles, said a police official.

Finally, after over three weeks of these demands, the government servant lodged the complaint and the police team nabbed the four accused in the case within hours. Further investigations are underway.