A businessman from Ropar experienced a shocking betrayal after a seemingly romantic connection on a dating app spiraled into a calculated robbery. The incident, which unfolded in Mohali, has led to a multi-state police operation and exposed a dangerous digital honey-trap.
From Digital Spark to Drugged Stupor
The victim, who owns a brick-kiln in Ropar, matched with a woman named Harjeet Kaur, who also used the alias Aditi, on the popular dating application Tinder. After exchanging messages, the two decided to meet for coffee at a shopping mall located in Mohali's Sector 70.
According to the police investigation, the plot was set in motion when the pair moved from the café to the businessman's car. While parked, Harjeet Kaur allegedly sent the man on a short errand to buy cigarettes. Upon his return, he consumed his coffee and soon began to feel intensely disoriented, a clear sign he had been drugged.
The Lodge Heist and Multi-State Manhunt
In his compromised state, the businessman accompanied the woman to a local lodge after finding hotels on Airport Road fully booked. The complainant stated that he lost consciousness soon after entering the room. When he finally awoke, he was met with a significant loss.
The stolen items included:
- A gold chain weighing approximately 75 grams (6.5 tolas)
- A gold bracelet weighing around 64 grams (5.5 tolas)
- A 5-gram gold ring
- Rs 70,000 in cash
Acting swiftly, the Matour police station, under Inspector Rupinder Singh (SHO), utilized crucial CCTV footage from the lodge to identify the suspects. This evidence triggered a cross-state pursuit.
The police team successfully intercepted Harjeet Kaur, a resident of Moga with three prior criminal cases, in Rajpura as she was allegedly attempting to flee to Delhi. Her accomplice, Ishav Bhardwaj from Jalandhar, who has one prior case, was apprehended in the hill station of Shimla.
Police Custody and Syndicate Fears
On Sunday, a district court remanded both arrested suspects to five days of police custody. Investigators are now intensively interrogating the duo with dual objectives: to recover the stolen gold and cash, and to uncover whether they are part of a larger organised honey-trap syndicate operating across Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
This case serves as a stark warning for users of digital dating platforms, highlighting how criminals are exploiting online connections to execute premeditated crimes. The police's successful cross-border operation demonstrates their focus on curbing such digital-age offenses.
