Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 12: In a case in which a bank manager was ensnared in a honeytrap and then blackmailed for money, the fourth district additional and sessions court here has found that the charges levelled against eight persons including two women have been proved. The court awarded three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to each of them besides fine of Rs 6,000.
The bank manager in question was living in a flat at Ballal Bagh in the city. Shilpa (27) from Konaje, Avinash (25) from Yerlapadavu, Yatish (26) and Ranjith (23), residents of Kuttarpadav, Nitin (23) from Deralakatte, Srijit (24) from Konaje, Sachin (23) from Bondel and Trupti (25) from Kotekar Beeri are the ones who have been found guilty of the charges levelled against them and therefore sentenced.
A bank manager aged 57, who has since retired, was living in an apartment on Shree Devi College Road. Shilpa, who was living in the same apartment complex, had planned to blackmail him through honeytrap by approaching him in the guise of getting trained for banking examination. According to the plan, the gang sent Shilpa to the bank manager with proper instructions. Photographs of the lady standing with the bank manager and video were procured. The manager was then threatened of sullying his image by sharing the photos and video on social website. The manager was also threatened at knife point and asked to cough up one lac rupees to the gang to escape humiliation.
After negotiations, the manager agreed to part with Rs 90,000. The accused forced him to sign two blank cheques and collected the registration certificate of a two-wheeler standing in the name of his son. The manager had accused the gang members of posing him death threat in case of failure to pay money as agreed upon.
The bank manager approached Barke police station with the complaint, and inspector of the station, K Rajesh, had registered the case. Police personnel of Barke and Urwa police stations succeeded in arresting the accused on September 24, six days after the case was registered. Barke police inspector, K K Ramakrishna, had concluded the investigation and filed charge sheet in the court.
The fourth district additional and sessions court judge, Ramalinge Gowda, who took up hearing of the case, examined ten witnesses out of 19 who were listed, and found that the charges were proved. He accordingly pronounced sentences to the guilty.
Public prosecutor Harishchadra Udyavar, had represented the prosecution in the case.
The persons named in the charge sheet were given three years of RI under section 120 B of Indian Penal Code for conspiring to blackmail through honeytrap apart from fine of Rs 2,000, three years of RI along with Rs 2,000 fine under section 395 relating to robbery charge, Rs 1,000 fine for unauthorized entry into house and six months of imprisonment and Rs 1,000 fine to each of the accused for posing death threat under section 506 of Indian Penal Code.
Public prosecutor Harishchandra Udyavar, said that many who get honey-trapped do not approach the police as they fear about harming their reputation. He noted that as the bank manager showed conviction and courage to approach the police in this incident, for the first time in Mangaluru, accused have been found guilty and punished in a honeytrap case, he noted.