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Belagavi police arrested 33-year-old Deepa Avatagi, a fashion designer from Bagalkot, for honey-trapping wealthy men through social media. She befriended victims online, invited them to lodges, and stole their valuables while they were distracted.

Police in Belagavi have arrested a woman accused of trapping wealthy men through social media and stealing their valuables. The arrest was made by the Tilakwadi police after a businessman filed a complaint about the alleged fraud.

The accused has been identified as Deepa Avatagi (33), a resident of Mahalingapur in Bagalkot district. Police said she worked as a fashion designer and allegedly used social media platforms to identify and contact wealthy men.

Officials said the investigation is still continuing, and police are searching for her accomplice who is currently absconding.

According to police, Deepa did not work alone. Investigators say she had help from Shivanand Mathapati, a resident of Hukkeri taluk in Belagavi district.

Police said Shivanand allegedly collected information about rich businessmen and passed the details to Deepa. She would then contact the targets through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

After getting in touch, she would slowly build a friendly relationship through online chats.

Officials believe the two shared the money and valuables obtained from their victims.

Police said Deepa followed a clear pattern while carrying out the crimes.

First, she would start friendly conversations with the targeted men on social media. After speaking for a few days, she would move the conversation to more personal chats in order to gain their trust.

Once the victim felt comfortable, she would invite him to meet at a lodge.

When the men arrived, she would ask them to freshen up or take a shower. While the victim was inside the bathroom, she would quickly take his mobile phone, cash, and other valuables.

After collecting the items, she would leave the lodge immediately.

Police said the matter did not always end with the theft.

According to investigators, the accused and her associate would sometimes contact the victims later and demand money. The victims were allegedly threatened with false complaints of misbehaviour if they refused to pay.

Police believe such threats made some victims hesitate to approach the authorities. Officials suspect that more victims could come forward as the investigation continues.

The case came to light after a businessman recently filed a complaint with the police.

According to the complaint, Deepa had contacted him online and later asked him to meet her at a lodge. When he arrived, she told him to freshen up.

While he was in the bathroom, she allegedly took his belongings, locked the room from the outside, and escaped from the lodge.

After the victim reported the incident, Tilakwadi police launched an investigation.

Police traced the accused and arrested her at a hotel in Belagavi.

During the investigation, officials also discovered that there were previous complaints against her.

Inspector Parashuram Poojeri led the operation that resulted in the arrest.

Police are now trying to track down the second accused, Shivanand Mathapati, who is believed to be hiding.

Property worth over ₹32 lakh seized

Police said they recovered several items from the accused during the operation. The total value of the seized property is estimated at ₹32.86 lakh. The recovered items include:

• One Toyota Fortuner car
• One Maruti Suzuki S-Cross car
• 11 mobile phones
• One tablet
• One internet dongle
• Three car keys
• ₹14,000 in cash

Officials believe these items may be connected to the alleged crimes.

The police said further investigation is underway to find the missing accomplice and check whether more victims were targeted.