CHENNAI: The Chennai city police arrested five people including a couple from Kerala on Thursday for cheating actress Gautami Tadimalla of Rs 13.8 crore by swindling money from her over a period of time. The arrest was made days after their anticipatory bail petitions were dismissed by the high court.
The accused were identified as C Alagappan, 63, his wife AL Nachal, 57, their son Siva Alagappan, 32, and daughter Arthi Alagappan, 28, and driver Sathish Kumar, 27. The court had on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail petitions filed by Alagappan and his wife Nachal in another cheating case registered by the Tiruvannamalai police.
Based on a specific tip, central crime (CCB) DCP NS Nisha and her team apprehended the accused from Kunnamkulam near Thrissur in Kerala. The police team recovered five original property documents, laptop, five mobile phones, four SIM cards, one tablet mobile, 26 sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs 3.5 lakh in cash.
Police are also on the lookout for the absconding suspects. The team is bringing the suspects to Chennai by road after obtaining a transit warrant from the Kunnamkulam magistrate court in Thrissur. They will be remanded in judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate court in Chennai on Friday.
In her complaint, Gautami mentioned that Alagappan had transferred Rs 9.9 crore from her bank account to his and his family members’ bank accounts from 2014 to 2020. Alagappan and his family also cheated Gauthami of Rs 3.9 crore, she stated in the complaint.
Gautami mentions in her complaint that she was infected with breast cancer in 2004 and Alagappan, who became an acquaintance, promised to sell her properties on her behalf and later, he advised her to invest in other properties to avoid capital gains.
Believing his words, Gautami executed a power of attorney in Alagappan’s name. He sold her property in Kottaiyur and later bought a new house on Sunrise Avenue in Neelankarai. Gautami filed a police complaint after she came to know that Alagappan had given a paltry amount to her and siphoned off the remaining amount.
He also registered the Neelankarai property in Gautami and his wife Nachal’s name. She found the documents verified and found the property measuring 6,801 sq. ft. in her name, while Nachal’s portion was 9,094 sq. ft. When she visited the property site, she was shocked to see him constructing a palatial bungalow on the property by unlawfully obtaining planning permission.