Surat: Surat’s Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Saturday arrested a 28-year-old woman and her lawyer for allegedly extorting Rs 20 lakh from a 54-year-old trader. The arrests were made at VR Mall, where the duo had come to collect the first instalment of the extortion money.The accused, Hetal Baraiya, had been in a relationship with the trader and allegedly recorded a nude video of the two. On Nov 8, she reportedly demanded Rs 50 lakh to prevent the video from being made public. When the victim refused, Baraiya filed a complaint against him at Surat’s Mahila police station.Police said the trader, who runs a construction materials shop on Buari-Unai Road in Tapi district, met Baraiya in 2022 through a friend. Their relationship involved several hotel stays in Surat and video calls, during one of which Baraiya reportedly recorded the nude video.Her lawyer, Abhishek Shethiya, allegedly threatened the victim, claiming he could avoid FIRs for rape and atrocities if he paid the money. A compromise deal was reportedly finalised at Rs 42.5 lakh.Acting on a tip-off, deputy commissioner of police (crime) Bhavesh Rojiya and his team laid a trap at the mall. Officers posed as customers in the food court, and when Baraiya arrived to accept the cash-filled bag, the team raided the location and caught both her and Shethiya red-handed. Police also seized letter pads containing written assurances to cancel all cases once the money was received.During questioning, Baraiya revealed that she had contacted Shethiya through intermediaries Suresh Jain alias Jayesh Prajapati and Ashok, who have also been booked and declared wanted.An FIR has been registered by Umra police under BNS sections 308(6) and 54 for extortion by threatening with false serious accusations.
