Two held for extorting money from priest through honey trap

PTI, Jan 12, 2025, 8:26 AM IST

Kottayam: Two people from Karnataka were arrested for allegedly extorting over Rs 40 lakh from a priest here by setting up a honey trap, police said on Saturday.

Neha Fathima (25) and her friend Sarathi, a 29-year-old man, both hailing from Bengaluru, were held by Vaikom police.

The duo extorted money to the tune of Rs 41.52 lakh from the priest since April 2023, by threatening to release his private videos, police said.

The young woman had befriended the priest over phone after inquiring about a job vacancy in a private institution where he was working as a principal.

After this, the woman had contacted the priest via video call and later demanded money for not releasing his private pictures, police said.

The priest finally approached the police as the duo continued to demand more money, they said.

The duo were held in an investigation launched by the Vaikom police after registering a case.

A court here remanded both the accused, a police statement added.