Fashion Designer Arrested for Luxury Honey-Trap & Extortion Racket
The Tilakwadi police have apprehended a 33-year-old fashion designer, Deepa Avatagi, for allegedly operating a sophisticated honey-trap and extortion racket targeting wealthy individuals in the city.
The investigation has uncovered a calculated scheme involving social media baiting, theft, and blackmail. Here are the key details of the case:
The Modus Operandi
According to police investigators, Avatagi—a native of Mahalingpur—would identify affluent men through social media platforms. After establishing a rapport and gaining their trust through intimate conversations, she would invite them to meet at various lodges in Belagavi.
Once at the lodge, she would reportedly persuade the victim to take a bath. While the victim was in the bathroom, Avatagi would lock the door from the outside, seize the victim’s valuables—including mobile phones, cash, and car keys—and flee the scene.
Extortion and Threats
The crime did not end with theft. Police revealed that after escaping, the accused would contact the victims from a different number, demanding large sums of money. She allegedly threatened to file false police complaints against them if they refused to pay the ransom.
Police Action and Seizures
The racket came to light following a formal complaint, leading to an investigation headed by Inspector Parashuram Pujeri. Using CCTV footage from the lodges, which showed Avatagi arriving and hurriedly departing, the police were able to track and arrest her.
During the raid, authorities recovered assets worth approximately ₹32.8 lakh, including:
- Two luxury vehicles (a Toyota Fortuner and a Maruti Suzuki S-Cross)
- 11 mobile phones and a tablet
- Cash and multiple sets of car keys
Accomplice at Large
While Avatagi has been taken into custody (and subsequently released on station bail), her alleged accomplice, Shivanand Mathapati, remains at large. Police believe Mathapati, a resident of Hukkeri taluk, acted as the “scout,” providing Avatagi with information on potential wealthy targets.
Efforts to locate and arrest Mathapati are ongoing, and the Tilakwadi police are continuing their investigation to determine if there are more victims who have yet to come forward.
