A honey-trapping racket was busted in Guwahati on Wednesday leading to the arrest of two individuals – a man and a woman – by the Hatigaon Police. The accused were involved in blackmailing an individual and extorting a substantial amount of money.

The victim, who had already been coerced into paying Rs 15 lakh, was further threatened for an additional Rs 10 lakh. Instead, a complaint was filed with the police and accordingly a trap was laid.

When one of the suspects arrived to collect the extortion money today, a police team was on hand to nab him.

The arrested man has been identified as Parash Baruah. After interrogating him, the police apprehended a woman accomplice. The police also raided a house in Kundil Nagar, listed as House No. 36, where a four-wheeler was seized during the operation.

The case is under further investigation as authorities continue to probe the extent of the racket.

Last month, a similar case was uncovered in Guwahati where businessman Harpal Singh was allegedly blackmailed and defrauded of approximately Rs 12 lakh by a woman posing as a model. The complaint, lodged by Singh’s wife at Hatigaon police station, claimed the woman exploited a false friendship and romantic relationship to extort money, using private photos for blackmail.

The accused, who used multiple aliases such as Tina, Pari, and Zina, manipulated Singh into paying large sums of money. Bank records show payments ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 15,000, mostly through Google Pay. The woman allegedly used the extorted funds to purchase luxury items, including expensive iPhones.

The complaint further revealed that the woman targeted several wealthy businessmen in similar schemes and frequently changed her rented residences to evade detection. The police launched an investigation to identify other victims in the matter.