Honey-Trap Scheme Unravelled: Pune Couple Jailed for Targeting and Blackmailing Local Businessmen
Honey-Trap Scheme Unravelled: Pune Couple Jailed for Targeting and Blackmailing Local Businessmen
Disturbing details have emerged following the dismantling of a sophisticated extortion ring by the Bharati Vidyapeeth Police, leading to the arrest of a local couple accused of “honey-trapping” influential figures. The suspects, identified as Pratap Ramesh Jadhav (45) and Pallavi Pratap Jadhav (28), residents of Bhintade Nagar, allegedly built a criminal enterprise centered on luring high-profile professionals and businessmen into compromising situations. Once trapped, these victims were reportedly threatened with fabricated criminal charges to siphon off massive sums of money.
Despite being legally divorced, the Jadhavs continued to live together, operating as a unified criminal unit to manipulate and exploit their targets through a calculated blend of financial pressure and psychological warfare.
The investigation was set in motion after a courageous survivor, currently separated from her husband, came forward with a harrowing account of her time living with the couple. Her ordeal began in 2024 when she befriended the duo and eventually moved into their residence. Facing financial hardship, she accepted a loan of ₹2 lakh from them at a predatory monthly interest rate of 5%. Despite eventually repaying a total of ₹3.6 lakh—which covered both the principal and the mounting interest—the Jadhavs’ greed remained unsatiated.
They allegedly used the remaining “debt” as a tool for total control, trapping the woman in a cycle of persistent harassment and intimidation.
As the situation escalated, the couple’s methods turned increasingly violent and coercive.
In August 2025, Pratap allegedly assaulted the victim while his wife was away; when the victim attempted to seek help from the police, the couple forcibly intervened. Later, with Pallavi’s active instigation, a second assault occurred while she was present in the home. During these traumatic encounters, the couple reportedly recorded videos and took photographs of the victim to use as blackmail material. The abuse continued during a trip to Goa, where the complainant reported that Pallavi performed unnatural acts with her, further cementing their hold over her through fear and sensitive media.
The criminal operation reached a peak in October 2025, when the couple attempted to use the victim as a pawn in a high-stakes conspiracy. They pressured her to file a completely false criminal complaint against a prominent businessman in Baramati, offering her an apartment and a bribe of ₹20-25 lakh in exchange for her cooperation. When she refused to participate in the scheme, the Jadhavs turned their full malice toward her, demanding an additional ₹10 lakh in extortion and threatening to murder her or leak her private photos. Refusing to be silenced, the victim finally sought refuge at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station, leading to a swift investigation.
Under the direction of Police Commissioner Milind Mohite and Senior Police Inspector Rahul Khilare, along with API Snehal Thorat and PSI Nilesh Mokashi, the police moved quickly to arrest Pratap and Pallavi. They now face multiple charges under laws governing sexual assault, extortion, and illegal usury. Authorities believe the duo has targeted numerous other victims who may have paid quietly to protect their reputations. The police are now urging anyone who has been blackmailed or exploited by this couple to come forward and file a report, emphasizing that breaking the silence is the only way to ensure these predators are held fully accountable for their actions.
