Ahmedabad police have arrested a 38-year-old man after a retired bank officer allegedly lost ₹25 lakh over a year to a honeytrap and extortion operation involving people posing as police officers. Two other alleged members of the group are being sought, according to the report.
The 63-year-old complainant, who lives in Ahmedabad’s Satellite area, reportedly came in contact with a woman named Payal on Facebook about a year ago. On Kali Chaudas, he travelled to the Dehgam Road area to meet her. While the two were sitting in his car, two men on a motorcycle allegedly approached them and identified themselves as police officers.
The men allegedly told the retired bank officer that the woman was involved in a narcotics case and that he too could be implicated, with a possible life sentence. One of them reportedly entered the officer’s car, while the other took the woman away on a motorcycle. Three more people then allegedly arrived, took the officer along in a vehicle and demanded ₹10 lakh, the report said.
When the officer could not arrange the money, the alleged gang members went with him to his home. He reportedly borrowed the amount from his son and paid ₹10 lakh. Two months later, one of the alleged accused allegedly returned to the officer’s home and claimed that the Dehgam case had been reopened. The group then reportedly took him towards Chiloda, where men wearing police uniforms demanded another ₹9 lakh. The officer allegedly borrowed the money again and paid it near Seema Hall.
The report said the demands continued. In April 2026, the group allegedly called the officer and said that ₹5 lakh was required to settle the case, while threatening to file a complaint. He reportedly paid the amount. On October 5, two people allegedly claiming to be members of the Local Crime Branch took him to Shela and demanded another ₹7 lakh.
Unable to arrange the full amount, the officer reportedly paid ₹1 lakh near Pakwan Circle. When the alleged accused demanded the remaining ₹6 lakh, he asked for written confirmation of when the case would be closed. Two of the men allegedly fled, while another left with the ₹1 lakh. The officer then informed the police, the report said.
The Zone 7 Local Crime Branch team, led by PSI H. R. Vaghela, allegedly used CCTV footage from the officer’s residential complex to identify and trace the suspects. Police arrested Alpesh Solanki, a resident of Botad, while he was allegedly waiting for his absconding associates. The police are searching for Kisan alias Kano Parmar, also reportedly from Botad, and a person identified as Lala from Mehsana. The investigation and search for the two remaining suspects were continuing, according to the report.
