Pune, 18 February 2026: The Bharati Vidyapeeth Police have arrested a couple for allegedly trapping entrepreneurs in a honey-trap scheme and extorting money. During the investigation, it was also revealed that the male accused sexually assaulted a woman.
The arrested accused have been identified as Pratap Ramesh Jadhav (45) and Pallavi Pratap Jadhav (28), residents of Bhintadenagar in Ambegaon. The case was registered after the victim lodged a complaint at Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station.
According to police, the complainant came in contact with the couple in 2024. She had borrowed ₹2 lakh from them at an interest rate of five per cent per month. She later repaid ₹3.6 lakh, including interest. Despite this, the accused allegedly continued to threaten her and demanded more money.
The complaint states that on August 25, Pratap Jadhav sexually assaulted the woman. When she attempted to approach the police, the couple allegedly threatened to circulate her photographs and videos on social media.
In October 2025, the couple allegedly pressured the woman to file a false complaint against an entrepreneur from Baramati. They reportedly offered her ₹20–25 lakh and a flat in Baramati in return. However, she refused.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Milind Mohite said, "The accused woman would lure well-known and respected individuals, take photographs with them, and later threaten to implicate them in criminal cases to extort money. We appeal to anyone who has been similarly targeted to contact Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station."
The arrests were made under the guidance of DCP Milind Mohite by a team led by Police Inspector Rahul Kumar Khilare, Assistant Inspector Snehal Thorat and Sub-Inspector Nilesh Mokashi.
Police are further investigating the matter to identify additional victims and possible cases linked to the couple.
