Brother, sister duo blackmail 51-year-old techie

A brother-sister duo blackmailed a 51-year-old software engineer and made away with Rs 22.5 lakh over four months.

The Konanakunte police identified them as Bhagya (30), a housewife, and her brother Govinda (32), a cab driver. They are yet to be arrested.

In his complaint to the police, Gokul Krishna (name changed) said he met Bhagya a year-and-a-half ago at a bus stop near Jayanagar 5th Block. She asked him for a lift and he obliged. Krishna exchanged phone numbers with Bhagya and they began chatting. Krishna said Bhagya forced him to have intimate talks with her.

The two frequented pubs, where they became close
and were in a relationship of sorts.

Around 3 pm on December 29, Bhagya called up Krishna to tell him that her brother Govinda had found out about their relationship and took a voice recording from her phone of Krishna talking intimately with her.

She wanted Krishna to pay her brother Rs 2.5 lakh to keep him quiet, to which Krishna agreed and handed the money to Bhagya and Govinda near the Peenya metro station. Bhagya later took Rs 6.5 lakh on various occasions.

For his part, Govinda threatened to release the recordings to local television stations and newspapers and took Rs 14 lakh on various occasions.

In the first week of April, Govinda again demanded Rs 6 lakh to round off at Rs 20 lakh (total extortion), asking Krishna to pay it by May 13.

Later, on April 22, Bhagya took Rs 2 lakh and demanded Rs 1.5 lakh to make the round figure of Rs 10 lakh.

The duo said they would hand Krishna the phone call recordings once they receive the money. Unable to take it anymore, Krishna filed a police complaint.

The police booked Bhagya and Govinda under IPC Sections 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation).