Instagram influencer Kirti Patel arrested in honeytrap case

New Delhi: Instagram influencer Kirti Patel, who was absconding for nearly 10 months, has been arrested by Gujarat Police in connection with a honeytrap and extortion case involving a Rs 2 crore ransom demand from a builder.

Patel, who has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram, was the subject of a First Information Report (FIR) registered in June 2024. The case named five accused, of whom four were arrested earlier. Patel had remained untraceable until this week.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Alok Kumar, Patel was arrested following a court-issued warrant and has been produced before the court. "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. We had arrested her based on the warrant issued by the court and produced her before the court. She has demanded a ransom of 2 crores from a builder," Kumar told ANI.

The case has gained attention due to Patel’s high social media presence and continued online activity during the time she was evading arrest. Despite evading the authorities, Patel remained active on Instagram, posting promotional content and personal videos, including those from her visit to the 2025 Mahakumbh.

According to police, Patel frequently changed cities across Gujarat, along with mobile numbers, SIM cards, and IP addresses to avoid detection. The Surat Police, in coordination with cyber experts and the Ahmedabad Police, tracked her down to Sarkhej, a locality in Ahmedabad. Investigators also sought assistance from Instagram to help determine her precise location.

“In these 10 months, her location kept changing constantly, in different parts of Gujarat. The IP address kept changing, as did her phone numbers and SIM cards. We also coordinated with Instagram to get her location,” DCP Kumar told NDTV.

The case against Patel centres on allegations of honeytrapping, a method where an individual deceives another into a compromising or emotional situation and later uses it for blackmail or extortion. In this instance, Patel is accused of luring a builder into such a situation and subsequently demanding Rs 2 crore.

In addition to the ongoing investigation in the extortion case, Patel is reportedly facing multiple other complaints, including allegations related to land grabbing and further extortion attempts. Police are expected to question her further as part of their inquiry into these matters.