MEERUT, March 10 -- Muzaffarnagar police on Sunday arrested four members, including a woman, of a honey-trap gang that allegedly targeted Gram Panchayat Pradhan poll candidates and extorted money by threatening them with false molestation and rape cases. One suspect remains absconding. The case came to light after a man filed a complaint at the New Mandi police station, alleging that Aftab, Riyasat, Parvez, Sajid and a woman identified as Varjina had formed an organised gang that used honey-trap tactics to blackmail people, particularly those contesting village head elections. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under sections 318(4), 231, 212, 308(7), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation. After a detailed probe, police arrested four members of the gang - Aftab, Riyasat, Sajid and Varjina. Another accused, Parvez, is still absconding. During interrogation, the accused said they targeted Gram Panchayat candidates, using a woman to lure victims and extort money through threats. Police said that in several cases victims were forced to withdraw from the election race, while in others the gang extorted money to settle the matter. The investigation revealed the gang finalised settlements at a hotel on the bypass, and had extorted around Rs.10-15 lakh from victims.Police are now probing the role of the hotel in the case. Senior superintendent of police Sanjay Kumar Verma said that Riyasat was the key member and backbone of the gang, allegedly planning the operations. Police teams are continuing efforts to arrest the absconding accused, while the involvement of other possible accomplices is also under investigation. The investigation was carried out under the supervision of the circle officer of New Mandi and the City SP....