Gurgaon Legal Professional Among Three Arrested in Elaborate Extortion Scheme
The Gurgaon Police has uncovered a disturbing extortion racket operated by a practicing lawyer, her husband, and their accomplice, who allegedly filed false cases of child sexual assault to blackmail individuals involved in marital disputes. The trio was apprehended on Thursday, November 7, 2025, following thorough investigations that began in late October.
The Elaborate Conspiracy Unveiled
According to police officials, the mastermind behind the operation was Geetika Chawla, a 26-year-old lawyer practicing in Gurgaon's civil courts. She allegedly collaborated with her husband, Harsh Kumar Thakkar, and their aide, Hanuman, who worked as a balloon seller from Ajmer in Rajasthan. The group specifically targeted men who were involved in ongoing marital disputes with Chawla's clients.
The case came to light when a man identifying himself as Rohit Kumar filed a complaint on October 29, 2025, at the Sector 65 police station. He alleged that his eight-year-old son had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by an IT firm owner. However, during verification, the submitted Aadhaar card proved to be forged, raising immediate suspicions among investigating officers.
Police Investigation Reveals Pattern of Fraud
A special investigation team discovered that the mobile number used by the complainant had previously appeared in an earlier extortion case. This crucial lead enabled police to track down and arrest Hanuman from Ajmer on November 6. During interrogation, Hanuman confessed that Chawla and Thakkar had provided him with a mobile phone, SIM card, and a typed complaint to file the false FIR.
Further investigation revealed that Chawla was representing the wife of the targeted IT professional in a pending marital dispute case. The couple had allegedly devised a scheme to frame the professional in a false rape case to pressure him into agreeing to a favorable financial settlement for the wife.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Hitesh Yadav confirmed that police examinations of over 30 phones and 100 phone numbers revealed many connections to Chawla. Investigators suspect that at least two dozen men may have been targeted through similar false complaints.
Substantial Evidence Recovered During Raids
Police conducted raids at the couple's residence in Tata Primanti society, Sector 72, leading to the recovery of substantial evidence. The seized items included:
- Rs 1.14 crore in cash
- Gold jewellery valued at Rs 2.88 crore
- 10 mobile phones and 11 SIM cards
- Multiple laptops, pen drives, and hard disks
- Passports and fake Aadhaar cards
The recovery of such significant assets and multiple communication devices indicates the scale and sophistication of the alleged extortion operation.
Legal Charges and Previous Similar Cases
The three accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including furnishing false information to a public servant, harboring offenders, cheating by personation, criminal conspiracy, extortion, forgery, and using forged documents as genuine. Additionally, they face charges under Section 22 of the POCSO Act for filing false complaints.
Police investigations have linked the accused to at least two previous cases following similar patterns - one in May 2024 at the women's police station (West) and another in June 2025 in Faridabad. Both cases were later determined to be false complaints filed with extortion motives.
The accused were produced in court on Friday, November 8, where Thakkar was remanded to five-day police custody, while Chawla and Hanuman received seven days of police custody. A dozen other suspects linked to the couple remain under investigation as police work to uncover the full extent of their alleged criminal activities.
