Haryana Judge Duped of ₹52 Lakh in Tinder Honey Trap; Probe Finds Gaps
According to officials, Vasisht convinced the judge to invest money with promises of high returns. Trusting him, she transferred large sums amounting to ₹52 lakh into his accounts over a period of time. The fraud came to light only after she failed to receive the promised returns.
Chandigarh: In a shocking case from Haryana, a woman judge allegedly fell victim to a honey trap and lost nearly ₹52 lakh to a man she met on the dating app Tinder. The accused, identified as Abhimanyu Vasisht, reportedly befriended the judge in November last year, and the two soon developed a close relationship.
According to officials, Vasisht convinced the judge to invest money with promises of high returns. Trusting him, she transferred large sums amounting to ₹52 lakh into his accounts over a period of time. The fraud came to light only after she failed to receive the promised returns.
In an unusual turn, the complaint was not filed by the judge herself but by her domestic help, in whose name the FIR was registered. Police later arrested the accused and remanded him to judicial custody.
The case took a significant turn during bail proceedings in a sessions court, where it was observed that all financial transactions were made from the judge’s personal bank account and not from her maid’s account. The court also pointed out serious lapses in the investigation, noting that complete WhatsApp chats and call records between the accused and the judge had not been collected.
Citing incomplete evidence and the need for a thorough probe, the court denied bail to the accused. It directed investigating officers to retrieve full conversations from Tinder and WhatsApp, gather details of fund transfers, and conduct a forensic examination of the accused’s mobile phone.
Further investigation in the case is underway.
The article is written by Rodda Yashwanth, a student from IIT- Hyderabad, interning with Deccan Chronicle