The main accused, a woman, who was known to the complainant, contacted him and lured him to Panchkula. She later persuaded him to visit a hotel in Morni, where she allegedly recorded an intimate video using a hidden camera (Representative image: Unsplash@danial_zh).The Panchkula police has busted an organised honeytrap and blackmail racket, arresting three accused, including a husband-wife duo, for allegedly extorting Rs 50 lakh from a victim using objectionable videos recorded through a hidden camera.The case was registered at Chandi Mandir police station on March 20 following a complaint by a Kaithal resident.Acting swiftly, police teams nabbed the accused from Sirhind and Zirakpur areas on the same day.According to the police, the main accused woman, who was known to the complainant, contacted him and lured him to Panchkula. She later persuaded him to visit a hotel at Morni, where she allegedly recorded an intimate video using a hidden camera during consensual relations.The accused then, along with her accomplices, sent the video to the victim via WhatsApp and demanded Rs 50 lakh, threatening to make the footage public if the money was not paid.Police said the trio — residents of Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab — had planned the crime in a premeditated manner to trap and blackmail the victim.During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. Based on their disclosure, the police recovered key evidence, including the hidden camera used to record the video, mobile phones, SIM cards and the car used in the commission of the offence. The hotel where the incident took place has also been identified, said the police.The accused were produced before a court on March 21. One of them was sent to judicial custody, while the husband-wife duo were remanded in two days of police custody. After the remand, both have now been sent to judicial custody.Story continues below this adPanchkula DCP Srishti Gupta said the case reflects a serious and organised attempt to exploit individuals private lives for financial gain.“This is not just a case of blackmail but a well-planned criminal conspiracy aimed at financial exploitation. Panchkula police acted swiftly and professionally to expose the entire racket,” she said.Police said further investigation in the case is ongoing.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:haryana news