Patel was apprehended in Sarkhej, Ahmedabad, based on a court-issued warrant. (image-Instagram/kirti_patel_official5143)
Gujarat: Social media influencer Kirti Patel, who has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram, was arrested by Gujarat Police after evading authorities for 10 months in connection with a high-profile honeytrap and extortion case. The 33-year-old was wanted for allegedly honeytrapping a builder and demanding Rs 2 crore as ransom.
Patel was apprehended in Sarkhej, Ahmedabad, based on a court-issued warrant. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar, her arrest follows an FIR registered in June 2024 that named five accused, four of whom were arrested earlier, while Patel had been on the run.
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“In June 2024, an FIR was registered for honey-trapping, and 5 accused were there, 4 were arrested while Kirti Patel was on the run for the last 10 months. She demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore from a builder,” Kumar told ANI.
Despite being a fugitive, Patel remained active on social media, regularly posting reels and photos, including promotional content. Just a week before her arrest, she had uploaded a reel endorsing an online casino, which quickly garnered over 600,000 views. In February 2025, she shared videos from her visit to the Mahakumbh, presenting herself as a devout follower of Lord Krishna.
While on the run, she kept changing cities, SIM cards, and IP addresses across Gujarat to evade police surveillance. According to investigators, she operated under multiple aliases and used various devices to evade authorities.
The breakthrough came after the Surat Police, working closely with cybercrime experts and the Ahmedabad Police, tracked Patel’s digital footprint. Investigators also collaborated with Instagram’s parent company, Meta, to help determine her precise location.
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Police confirmed that Patel is also facing additional complaints, including allegations of land grabbing and other extortion-related activities. Authorities will now record her statement in connection with these cases as part of the ongoing investigation.
What is Honeytrapping?
Honeytrapping is a method of deceit in which someone uses charm, flirtation, or fake romantic intent to lure a victim into compromising situations. These situations are later used for blackmail, extortion, or coercion. Victims are often threatened with private videos, photographs, or false allegations if they do not comply.
