Court acquits 5 in ‘Honey Trap’ extortion case
Presiding Judge Dhakar Ram Paudel, in a verdict delivered on Tuesday, found accused Tajammul Islam guilty, while the remaining five defendants were cleared of all charges.
KATHMANDU: The District Court of Lalitpur has acquitted five individuals, including Police Inspector Binukumari Shahi, in a high-profile case alleging extortion through a ‘honey trap’ scheme.
Presiding Judge Dhakar Ram Paudel, in a verdict delivered on Tuesday, found accused Tajammul Islam guilty, while the remaining five defendants were cleared of all charges.
The case, filed by the Lalitpur District Police on Mangsir 9, 2081 BS (24 Nov, 2024), originally named six individuals: Police Inspector Shahi, Sushma Bishwakarma, Tajammul Islam (alias Tajammul), Bhimadevi Thapa, Mahendra Hamal, and Darshan Pokharel. Only Shahi and Pokharel were present in court during the proceedings.
Tajammul Islam was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and fined Rs 30,000, according to court sources.
The allegations stemmed from an incident in which Indrakumar Rai, a resident of Sankhuwasabha living in Sanagaun, Lalitpur, claimed to have been extorted for Rs 30 million.
The accused allegedly initially demanded Rs 60 million under the threat of filing a false sexual assault complaint. Rai was reportedly taken to the Bungmati police post, where the extortion took place in front of Inspector Shahi.
However, the court acquitted Inspector Shahi and the other accused, ruling that the evidence did not substantiate the claims against them.
