The City of Lakes is increasingly becoming entangled in a web of organised crime that was previously the hallmark of metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune. Posh localities and high-end malls in the city have turned into hubs for a predatory ‘syndicate’ where bars employ educated young women as ‘agents’ to lure unsuspecting men. This organised racket trades on emotions, using innocence as a facade to extort massive sums from victims.

 

1. The Digital Lure Members of the gang create highly attractive and credible profiles on popular dating platforms like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. Their primary targets are often outsiders, students or young professionals new to the city, who might be experiencing loneliness. By analysing social media profiles, they identify individuals with high spending capacity. Conversations start on an emotional and sophisticated note to win the victim’s trust and profile their financial background.

 

2. The Strategic Venue After a few days of rapport-building, the woman insists on a physical meeting. She tactfully chooses specific posh bars or restaurants where she has a pre-arranged ‘fixed commission.’ If the victim suggests a different cafe or a public place for safety or budget reasons, the woman uses excuses like personal safety or proximity to her home to force him into the designated ‘death trap’ venue.

 

3. The Billing Scam Upon arrival, the woman begins ordering the most expensive imported liquor, champagne, and premium snacks without even consulting the menu. In this scheme, waitstaff and managers act as accomplices, repeatedly serving orders to ensure the bill escalates rapidly while the victim is distracted by conversation. When the bill, often running into tens of thousands, arrives, the woman mysteriously disappears under the pretext of an ‘emergency call’ or a ‘washroom break.’ The Bansal One Mall Incident: A recent case at a bar in Bansal One Mall has brought this scam into the limelight. A youth was allegedly cheated of Rs 32,000 after meeting a woman he met on a dating app.

 

After placing a heavy order, the woman fled the scene when the bill arrived. When the youth expressed inability to pay, the bar management reportedly pressured him and seized his motorcycle as ‘collateral.’ A complaint has been lodged with the GRP Kamalapati, initiating a deeper probe into the racket. Why Bhopal? Social and administrative experts believe that Bhopal’s transition into an IT and Education hub is a major factor. The city now hosts a large population of migrants seeking new social circles. Exploiting this need, unethical restaurant owners hire college students or women from middle-class backgrounds on a ‘cash-commission’ basis. These women often join such syndicates to fund expensive lifestyles, branded apparel, and high-end gadgets.