A shocking twist has emerged in the Kochi honey trap case involving a senior executive of an Infopark-based IT company. The woman at the center of the controversy has now alleged that the extortion charges against her were fabricated to cover up sexual harassment she faced at work.
The accused woman and her husband were earlier arrested for allegedly attempting to extort ₹30 crore from the IT company’s CEO. However, following her arrest, she filed a complaint under the POSH Act, accusing the CEO and three others of workplace harassment, physical intimidation, and inappropriate behavior between early 2024 and mid-2025.
In her bail petition, the woman claimed that the extortion allegations were an attempt to silence her. She also alleged that she and her husband were lured to a meeting under the pretext of resolving the matter, only to be arrested without proper inquiry. The court has since expressed concerns about how the arrest was conducted, including the presence of a revenue official and the failure to verify digital evidence in her possession.
Additionally, the court observed that certain materials produced during the arrest, such as stamp papers and messages, appeared to be staged. It has now ordered a forensic analysis of her phone to ensure clarity in the investigation. Meanwhile, a fresh case under the POSH Act and relevant IPC sections has been registered, and the CEO along with other accused individuals is under the scanner as the probe continues.
This case underscores the sensitive nature of balancing extortion allegations with genuine workplace harassment complaints, making it a closely watched legal battle in Kochi.
