KOCHI: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the bid to blackmail Mollywood actor Shamna Kasim on Wednesday arrested two more persons. With this, the number of persons arrested in the case rose to 10.Raheem, 35, and Shemil, 27, both residents of Kaippamamgalam in Thrissur, were the arrested, according to the police.
“The two were active members of the gang and part of executing the fraud. They were arrested for their involvement in other cases registered against the gang,” said an official with the SIT.The police had registered at least eight cases after Shamna Kasim’s mother lodged a complaint about the attempt to cheat them in the guise of a marriage proposal for the actor. The cases were for extorting money and gold from young aspiring women working in the movie and modelling industry.
Raheem, who was arrested from Kaippamangalam, has been charged with human trafficking and extortion of money from one victim. Shemil who was arrested from Elamakkara was charged with extortion of gold ornaments from another victim. The girls were lured by offering them roles in films. An inquiry is under way in the case related to the extortion of money and gold from eight girls after taking them to Palakkad in the guise of film shooting and then locked up them in a hotel room for several days,said police.