BENGALURU: Four persons, including a mother and daughter, were arrested by Nandini Layout police on charges of blackmailing a 58-year-old man and extorting Rs 73 lakh from him, claiming to be policemen. They also threatened to file cases against him over various incidents they concocted.
The arrested are Baby Rani, 39, her daughter Sheeba Nivedita alias Preeti, 23, Preeti’s husband Manikantan, 27, and his brother Prasad, 25, all residents of Vidyaranyapura.Police said that the complainant, Krishnadas, who runs a catering business, has houses in Mathikere, Yeshwantpur, which he had rented out. Baby Rani, who often visited one of his tenants, befriended Krishnadas, knowing that he was a wealthy man.
On some pretext or other, she borrowed Rs 6 lakh from Krishnadas. When she asked him for another Rs 3 lakh, saying she was in need of money to pay the lease amount for her house, Krishnadas refused. Baby Rani allegedly showed him a morphed photograph, in which they appeared to be in a compromising position.
“Baby Rani started blackmailing him, saying that she would show the photograph to his family, and extorted Rs 3 lakh from him. A few days later, she called him and said she would return the money, and asked him to come to her house. When he went there, Prasad and one more man, identified as Murthy, allegedly raided the house, claiming that they were policemen in plainclothes. Threatening to book him for illegal activities, they took Rs 50,000 in cash and a cheque for Rs 2 lakh.
After some days, Rani contacted him again and told him that she was in search of a groom for her daughter, and wanted to discuss the issue with him, police said.“The victim trusted her, and as soon as he reached, Manikantan and another person raided the house and told them they were crime police from Kodigehalli police station, and had raided the house as there was information that illegal activities were going on in the house. They extorted Rs 5 lakh from him, saying they wouldn’t file a case.
A few days later, Manikantan contacted Krishnadas over phone and informed him that Rani was dead and her relatives were planning to file a police case against him. Manikantan said he would prevent the complaint from being filed if Krishnadas paid Rs 17 lakh, and the latter agreed.
The same person again extorted Rs 20 lakh from him over the same reason. A few days later, Rani’s daughter contacted him and told him that her mother had died due to harassment by him and she would file a complaint with the Women’s Commission. Fearing the consequences, he paid her Rs 20 lakh,” police said.
The accused, who had extorted Rs 73.55 lakh from Krishnadas, again demanded Rs 65 lakh to close the case. They told him that they have to pay the judge Rs 25 lakh, and the remaining amount to senior police officers. But the victim told them that he had no money, and then filed a police complaint.
“When we started the probe, we found that Rani was alive and the accused had plotted to blackmail the victim. The foursome was arrested and Rs 11.70 lakh in cash, gold worth Rs 1.50 lakh, two cars, three copies of duplicate FIRs and other documents were seized from them. They had created fake FIRs so that the victim wouldn’t doubt them. From the ill-gotten money, they had bought two cars and planned to build two houses in Vidyaranyapura and Yelahanka,” police added.