Gurugram police on Friday revealed a disturbing extortion racket involving a young lawyer, her husband, and a balloon seller, who were all arrested on Thursday.

According to investigators, the trio had been running a calculated scheme that targeted men already struggling with marital conflicts, trapping them in false rape cases to force them into paying huge amounts of money. Police said this method allowed the group to exploit vulnerable families and earn massive illegal profits.

The accused have been identified as 26-year-old lawyer Geetika Chawla, who practised at the Gurugram civil courts; her husband, 29-year-old Harsh Kumar Thakkar; and Hanuman, also known as Rohit, a 35-year-old balloon seller who worked on city footpaths. As per police findings, the group allegedly extorted ₹1.14 crore in cash, along with gold ornaments and coins worth around ₹2.85 crore, from multiple victims.
(Reference: Gurugram Police statements reported widely in Indian news outlets.

During a 16-hour search at their flat in Tata Primanti, a luxury residential society in Sector 72, officers recovered 10 mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, laptops, several passports, Aadhaar cards, and other items believed to have been used for extortion. Police explained that Chawla focused mainly on the husbands of women who approached her for legal assistance related to alimony and maintenance. Her legal access allowed her to identify potential targets who could be pressured through fabricated charges.

The racket began to fall apart after Hanuman, pretending to be Rohit Kumar using a forged Aadhaar card, filed an FIR at Sector 65 police station on October 29. He claimed that his minor son, who helped him sell balloons, had been kidnapped and raped by a man driving a car along their regular route. Deputies soon noticed inconsistencies.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Hitesh Yadav said that the man named in the fake FIR was an IT firm owner from Gurugram who had only briefly travelled on that particular road to visit his parents. Investigators grew suspicious after discovering that the same phone number used by the complainant had appeared in a previous extortion allegation. As DCP Yadav explained, “We found that the complainant’s number had been used earlier in an extortion complaint. That raised doubts.”

When police called Rohit Kumar for verification, they noticed that the photograph on the Aadhaar card submitted with the FIR did not match the person who later appeared. The Aadhaar card turned out to be a forged document allegedly provided by Chawla. After questioning the child and Hanuman, officers confirmed that the entire story had been fabricated at the direction of the lawyer and her husband. Further checks revealed that Hanuman had previously been booked in a 2011 theft case in Gurugram.
(Source: Archived police FIR data available through Haryana Police case records)

When questioned, Chawla admitted she was representing the IT professional’s wife in a marital case. Police stated that the couple had planned to frame him in a false rape case to force a financial settlement in favour of his wife. Investigators confirmed that this method had been used before.

In May 2024, Chawla reportedly convinced another client to accuse her husband of sexually assaulting their minor daughter. That case was filed at the Women’s Police Station (West) and was later identified as false. In June 2025, Hanuman’s wife filed a similar complaint in Faridabad, again allegedly under Chawla’s instructions. Both these cases followed the same pattern of false framing and were eventually declared fabricated.

A senior investigator noted, “The details were strikingly similar to the recent Sector 65 FIR that exposed the nexus.” At the time, officers handling those cases had no idea they were connected or part of a larger extortion plan. As the investigation deepened, more disturbing details emerged.

DCP Yadav said that several men involved in disputes with their wives had reported extortion calls over the past year. He confirmed that police examined more than 30 mobile phones and 100 numbers, and many of them were directly linked to Chawla’s devices. Police now believe that nearly two dozen men may have been targeted, and the seized cash and gold are likely proceeds of these crimes.

Investigators also found that more than a dozen people connected to the couple are now under scrutiny for helping identify potential targets and for filing or supporting fake complaints. A Special Investigation Team led by ACP (Badshahpur) Surender Phogat has been formed to handle the case. Digital evidence from Chawla’s laptop even included the draft of the FIR filed by Hanuman at Sector 65.

Officers further revealed that Chawla completed her law degree in 2022 from a university in Meerut. She often asked Hanuman to write complaints in his own handwriting, hoping this would reduce suspicion. Hanuman, originally from Ajmer and financially vulnerable, came into the couple’s circle after Thakkar reportedly found him near Bhuteshwar temple in Sector 11 in 2022. Since then, he was used repeatedly to lodge false cases. Hanuman is currently on a five-day police remand, while Chawla and Thakkar have been remanded for seven days to determine how many false cases they filed and how much money they extorted.

DCP Yadav said, “The extent of the racket is still being uncovered. We are tracing other individuals and victims linked to their network.”

During interrogation, Chawla openly disclosed that she represented the wife of the IT professional involved in the pending marital dispute and, together with her husband and Hanuman, planned to frame him in a false rape case to secure a financial settlement. A raid on the couple’s residence in Tata Primanti led to the recovery of Rs 1.14 crore in cash, gold worth Rs 2.88 crore, 10 mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, laptops, pen drives, hard drives, passports, and forged Aadhaar cards.

Investigators confirmed that Chawla mostly represented women in alimony and maintenance cases and used Hanuman as the tool to file false POCSO cases against the husbands to pressure them into settlements. These patterns matched the false cases uncovered from May 2024 and June 2025.

DCP Yadav added that police scanned more than 30 phones and 100 numbers linked to the couple’s activities, and around two dozen men have already been identified as victims. Several others are being investigated for their role in assisting the gang.

But why was Hanuman involved?

Investigators found that in one case, Geetika allegedly pressured a wife to file a rape case against her estranged husband, accusing him of abusing their daughter. When she refused, Hanuman was made to act as the complainant. In another case, a husband was falsely accused of sexually harassing his own daughter. A third case in Faridabad involved a fabricated complaint by Hanuman’s wife.

As explained by DCP Yadav, “The gang created a deep-rooted network of extortion through fake legal cases. Our team worked round the clock to expose the racket. More arrests are likely as we continue to investigate the financial and digital trails.”

Police have now reopened all three cases to prosecute those who made false allegations. The estranged wives involved are also under scrutiny and will be booked as the probe continues. Police are even verifying Geetika's legal credentials, as she claimed she began practising law only last year. An FIR has been registered against Chawla, Thakkar, and Hanuman for cheating, forgery, conspiracy, and violations under the POCSO Act.

An official urged victims to speak up, stating, “We urge anyone who suspects they may be a victim to come forward. Misusing laws meant to protect the vulnerable can have devastating consequences for innocent families.”