Pune: Reelstar Ex-Cop Sonali Hinge Denied Anticipatory Bail in Extortion Case

Pune, 5th June 2026 : A local court in Pune has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of dismissed police constable Sonali Hinge, a reelstar cop who is accused of blackmailing the principal of a reputed college and extorting Rs 7 lakh by allegedly using a minor girl to threaten him with a false case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Rejecting the plea, Additional Sessions Judge P. Y. Ladekar observed that there was evidence showing that the accused had visited the college despite it not falling within the jurisdiction of her police station. The court also noted that she had failed to perform her duty of registering an offence. Custodial interrogation was necessary to recover and examine electronic evidence, photographs, devices allegedly used in the crime, and to trace the extorted money, the court said.

The complaint was lodged by the principal at the Bund Garden Police Station. Based on the complaint, a case was registered against dismissed police sub-inspector Ajit Tryambak Bade, constable Sudam Balkrishna Tayde and constable Sonali Hinge on charges including extortion and criminal conspiracy. The alleged offence took place between July 18 and July 28. The police commissioner had dismissed all three soon after the case came to light.

Bade and Tayde have already been arrested in the case, while Hinge, who is absconding, had approached the Pune court seeking anticipatory bail. The application was opposed by public prosecutor Sunil Hande. After hearing the arguments, the court rejected the plea.

According to the prosecution, Hinge became acquainted with a minor girl while she was posted with the Damini squad at the Shivajinagar Police Station. The accused allegedly lured the girl by promising admission to a reputed college and then persuaded her to file a false complaint against the principal.

The accused allegedly threatened the complainant with registration of a POCSO case and arrest, while also conspiring to tarnish his personal and institutional reputation. Under this pressure, the principal allegedly paid Rs 7 lakh as extortion money.

Investigators said the accused failed to secure admission for the girl in any college as promised. Subsequently, the minor and her family directly approached police chief Amitesh Kumar, following which the alleged extortion racket came to light and an investigation was launched.