In a first for the district, all eight members including two women who had set a honey trap for a retired banker were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment by the Fourth Additional District and Sessions Court on Wednesday.
The members of the gang include Shilpa (23), Avinash (21) from Konaje, Yatish (27), Ranjith (19) from Kuttarpadavu, Nithin (19) from Deralakatte, Srijith (20) from Konaje, Sachin (19) from Bondel and Trupthi (21) from Kotekar. They were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 6,000 each.
Shilpa from Konaje, who was staying in an apartment near Sreedevi College hatched a conspiracy to lure a retired banker residing in the same apartment, into a honey trap. On September 18, 2016, as per the plan, 21-year-old Trupti entered the banker’s flat on the pretext of being tutored for banking examinations scheduled next month.
No sooner she was seated next to him, the other seven members of the gang barged into the house. As two youths stood guard outside the apartment, the others thrashed and took pictures of the retired banker in compromising positions with Trupti. The gang then demanded Rs 1 lakh to not upload his pictures with the woman on social media.
The gang forcibly took cash worth Rs 2,300, his son’s two-wheeler RC and two signed blank cheques before fleeing from the apartment. The retired banker summoned courage and filed a case against the gang members with Mangaluru North police station. Then Investigating Officer K K Ramakrishna filed a charge sheet.
Public Prosecutor Harish Chandra Udiawar used the same pictures taken by the honey trap gang as strong evidence against them. As many as 10 out of 19 witnesses were examined during the trial.
Fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge Ramalinge Gowda upholding the arguments of PP Harish Chandra Udiawar declared the members guilty under section 120(b) (hatching conspiracy), sec 448 (trespassing), 395 (dacoity) and 506 (Death threat) of IPC.