Kochi robbery case uncovers honeytrap targeting gay men through dating apps

Kochi: What first appeared to be a routine robbery case has now unfolded into a deeply disturbing pattern of targeted violence in Kochi. The recent escape and partial recapture of accused persons in a robbery case in the city have exposed a calculated ‘honeytrap’ operation specifically targeting gay men through dating apps and leading them into violent ambushes that turned some of the city’s most desolate stretches into crime scenes.

The gravity of the case hit the headlines when the accused Suraj of Nooranad in Alappuzha and Russel of Parakkulam in Pathanamthitta, produced before a Magistrate at his house in North Paravur on Sunday evening, managed to attack the police officers and flee when the handcuffs were removed. While Suraj was intercepted hours later near a canal, Razal is still at large and the hunt for him continues.

The police said what they have uncovered is not random crime but a crooked and structured operation that preyed on vulnerability, silence, and fear of the victims. ​The gang used dating apps to identify their targets. Using profiles like they spent days chatting with potential victims and exchanging photographs. Police sources said the gang would carefully vet their targets, assessing their financial status, checking whether the type of gadgets - especially smartphones - they use are costly or not and gauging how secretive they were about their gender identity.

​A senior police officer familiar with the investigation detailed the gang’s chilling precision.

“They looked for the perfect victims - gay youths or men who are financially sound and using high-end gadgets like an iPhone, but more importantly, someone who would be terrified to report the crime because it would mean revealing their sexual orientation to the police or their family,” the officer told Onmanorama.

“The accused would lure victims to secluded, dark locations under the guise of a romantic or sexual encounter. Once the victim was isolated and in a vulnerable position, the trap would spring," the officer added.

​The chilling details of their crimes came out during the investigation into a robbery case registered at the Ernakulam Town North Police Station. A local makeup artist was lured to the Ernakulam North bridge at 2:30 am on April 22.

​According to police sources, he was contacted through a profile named ‘Jaseem’. They chatted, shared pictures and agreed for a discreet meeting under Ernakulam North Bridge. The person, who chatted as Jaseem, led the victim 30m into a pitch-black stretch of the railway tracks. As the victim was lured into a vulnerable physical position, the trap snapped shut. Two other men emerged from the darkness.

“The gang uses a tactic of ‘moral questioning’ to intimidate the victim initially. When the victim in the North Bridge case resisted, the ‘decoy’- who had been acting friendly just moments before - laughed and joined the other two in a brutal assault,” police sources said.

​The violence reported is significant. Police sources said that in the North Bridge incident, the victim was pinned down and his head was slammed against a wall while a train passed by, masking his cries for help. Even after the victim fell, he was kicked and robbed of his high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max, valued at ₹1.53 lakh, and a silver chain worth ₹4000.

​The gang even attempted to extort the victim further, demanding ₹8,000 for the return of the phone before fleeing. The victim later required plastic surgery at a private hospital for a deep wound and severe swelling under his right eye.

​The timing of these crimes, which happen usually between 2 am and 4 am, is a key element of their strategy. A similar incident was reported near Kammattippadam at 2:15 am last week, where a 20-year-old native of Thiruvananthapuram was lured from the North Railway Station to a secluded spot and robbed of a phone worth ₹65,000.

​”They chose the early hours of the morning because the streets are deserted and their victims are less likely to be seen or helped,” the police said.

The police suspect that the reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg. There is a strong suspicion that many more individuals have fallen prey to this gang but have remained silent.

​”The accused persons were fully aware of the social challenges faced by the gay community,” a senior police officer said. “They used this as a 'loophole,' betting on the fact that victims would be too afraid of revealing their gender identity or facing privacy issues to approach the police. This fear of 'coming out' through a police complaint is what the gang exploited. We suspect there are more victims. More details will be clear only after arresting Razal, who is absconding.

The police will seek the custody of Suraj, who was recaptured after a brief escape from custody, to identify other victims of this predatory racket. The third person arrested in the case is a minor and he has been shifted to a juvenile home in the district.

The police also warned that people should be extremely cautious when meeting individuals through dating apps, especially in isolated areas or during late-night hours.