Con Who Evaded Cops for 10 Yrs Finally in Net

BENGALURU: A 36-year-old woman has been  arrested on charges of extortion. Subramanyapura police arrested Asha alias Soundarya alias Kavita after a complaint was filed by Venkataramanan, who was robbed of his gold chain and other valuables. 

Asha was arrested on similar charges in 2004 and had been released on bail. She was involved in numerous such cases, police sources said. The police recovered 300 grams of gold jewellery, a car and a two-wheeler from her. 

On October 25, posing as a police officer, she had approached Venkataramanan who was returning from his morning walk and asked him if he was planning a house robbery. She had threatened him and asked him to go to the police station with her. She then took away his chain and ring.

Modus Operandi

Asha extorted people in three ways, police said. In the first, she would approach men, claiming to be a police officer in mufti, and ask them if they were planning a robbery. She would threaten them and make them part with their valuables and money. 

In the second, she would approach youngsters pretending to be interested in them. Once they would get on her bike, she would go a short distance and then claim that she was a police officer. She would make allegations of eve-teasing and pretend to call for a jeep from the police station, before extorting money from them.

Sometimes, she would also pretend to be a prostitute and approach men in cars. She would go a certain distance with them and suddenly scream that the men were trying to rape her. She would then extort money from them saying she would inform passers-by.

Of late, she had been operating in Jayanagar, Channamana Achukattu and Magadi Road police limits. She would pawn the jewellery and live a lavish life.

According to Asha, after her husband’s death, she started extorting money to fund her daughter’s education. She also claimed that she wanted to start a massage parlour. Before her husband’s death, Asha used to  work in a parlour.