MP: Reward of Rs 1 lakh announced on Jitu Soni in honey trap case

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced prize money of Rs 1 lakh on absconding Jitu Soni. Soni, who is a runaway businessman, is wanted in at least 25 cases in the past 12 days along with 9 other old cases. The owner of Indore based evening newspaper Sanjha Lokswami, Jitendra Soni is facing charges for human trafficking and extortion among others.

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Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ruchi Vardhan Mishra had said in a press conference earlier this month that an FIR had been registered against Jitu Soni, his son Amit Soni, manager of 'My Home' and others under Indian Penal Code Section 370. 'My Home' is a bar which was run by Jitu Soni and the SSP had said that 67 women and 7 minor girls had been rescued from the bar. They were reportedly kept there to entice the customers and were paid only through the tips given by them.

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An Indore municipal corporation official named Harbhajan Singh had filed a case against Jitu Soni and his son Amit Soni under the IT Act for publishing news about the Honey Trap incident. Six persons, including five women, were arrested in September in connection with the case. The Municipal corporation engineer filed a complaint alleging that two women tried to extort Rs 3 crore from him by threatening to make some objectionable videos viral.

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More than a dozen arrested

More than a dozen people, including Jeetu Soni's son Amit, have been arrested in connection with some of these cases. The government has also demolished a number of Soni's properties including illegally constructed home, cafe and hotels.

Madhya Pradesh High Court is monitoring the probe for which a Special Investigation Team was also formed. The case is said to have trapped many from the Madhya Pradesh political spectrum as well as bureaucrats.

(with ANI inputs)

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