What happened
On April 18, a 24-year-old Bengaluru resident filed a complaint in Anantapur that unravelled a honey-trap extortion ring run by prime accused Mamillapalli Rangamma and four other women. The gang used dating apps and messaging platforms to lure retirees, businessmen, priests and mid-level officials, secretly recorded compromising video, and then demanded between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh per victim — with one victim reportedly taking his own life after paying up. Police have arrested five, seized Rs 13 lakh in cash, two knives and a paper trail pointing to more than Rs 1 crore in extortion from around 20 victims. The two inspectors allegedly on the gang's payroll — Sri Harsha of Three Town station and Rajendranath Yadav of Rapthadu — were not arrested, suspended, or charged; they were 'forced to take voluntary retirement', allowed to walk off with their pensions and their record officially undisturbed.