Hyderabad police have intensified surveillance and enforcement at pubs in Jubilee Hills after more than 70 pub-goers reportedly lost over ₹35 lakh in alleged dating-app honey traps over five months, alongside complaints of excessive billing, underage drinking, late-night disturbances and operating-hour violations.
A senior police officer said on Saturday that more than 70 complaints had been received since January. Thirty-three complaints came from Hyderabad, while the remaining complaints were registered in other commissionerates. The complaints involve women whom the men met through dating applications before meeting them at pubs or restaurants, where large bills were allegedly generated.
Special teams comprising cybercrime personnel and She Teams officers are investigating the complaints, the officer said. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau and Hyderabad cybercrime police are examining whether the incidents involved deliberate deception, unlawful demands for payment or other offences.
The police have not yet established that every complaint involved the same method or that pub managements were responsible in each case. A cybercrime police officer said investigators were collecting evidence to determine the circumstances of every incident and identify the individuals involved.
One complainant, identified as Shekar, told the newspaper that he was made to pay ₹28,000 at a restaurant after taking a woman he had met through a dating application. He later approached the police. The complaints are being examined to establish whether individuals, pub operators or other parties were involved in unlawful activity.
The police action extends beyond alleged dating-related fraud. Officials said several complaints had been received about exorbitant billing and the serving of alcohol to minors at some pubs. Police warned that action would be taken against establishments found violating the rules.
More than 33 pubs operate in Jubilee Hills, where residents have repeatedly raised concerns about loud music, late-night disturbances and altercations spilling onto public roads. The enforcement drive therefore places the area’s nightlife economy alongside the question of how effectively establishments are monitored after business hours.
According to the police statement, pubs must close by midnight from Sunday to Thursday and by 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Police said disturbances affecting residents would not be tolerated and asked the public to report noise, public nuisance and other violations through Dial 112.
A senior police officer said staff had been instructed to respond promptly to complaints. The cybercrime and police teams are continuing to gather evidence, while action against individual establishments will depend on the findings of the investigations.
