'Fake rape' gang exposed in Goa: Good looking girls were paid to file false cases for extortion, say Police

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Goa police have recently exposed a major criminal operation involving the filing of false rape cases across the country. As per a TOI report, the investigation, led by the special crime branch team under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Aslam Khan, has resulted in the arrest of Harish, an alleged pimp from Gujarat. This is the fourth arrest made in connection with the ongoing probe.

DIG Khan has stated that this case involves a significant inter-state racket.

The modus operandi of the criminals involves identifying good-looking girls from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and enticing them with monetary incentives to file false rape cases. Once the girls become aware of the easy money involved, they find themselves trapped in a vicious circle from which they cannot escape.

The investigation was initiated when the Goa police uncovered an inter-state racket operated by two women from Gujarat. These women used the threat of false rape cases to extort money from their targets.

They would initially establish contact with potential clients, posing as providers of escort services. Subsequently, they would threaten the clients with rape accusations if they failed to pay the demanded sums. In some instances, they even managed to register rape First Information Reports (FIRs) against their targets.

According to the police, the women primarily targeted individuals through online platforms.

Once they had established contact, they would travel with their clients to Goa and stay in their hotel rooms. The following day, they would intimidate the clients into paying large sums of money, using the threat of a rape case as leverage. Those who refused to comply found themselves facing an FIR and subsequent police