Woman held for extorting Rs 25 lakh from bizman's son

Police have arrested a woman in connection with the alleged extortion of Rs 25 lakh from the son of a city-based businessman.

Pushpa alias Pushpalatha, 30, claimed that she was the president of an NGO called APJ Abdul Kalam Charitable Trust, and used the help of three associates in the crime on August 11.

Suraj, 36, a BE graduate, was injured in the violent assault.

Suraj helps his father run his firm — Ravi Industrial Suppliers, in Hanumathanagar — and helps people get contracts of government civil works. He told police that he had known Pushpa for the last two years and they often met to discuss tenders floated on government projects.

Rowdy-sheeter Arjun alias Ayyappa and two of his friends, Rakesh and Santosh, have been named in the police complaint. Rakesh has been arrested.

A week before the incident, Pushpa called Suraj and discussed with him a government project and assured him that he would bag the contract. Suraj went to her office near Gali Anjaneya Temple on Mysore Road around 10 am. He was introduced to Santosh as the personal assistant of an IAS officer who could help him get the contract.

As Santosh and Pushpa were collecting the details of companies owned by Suraj’s father and his friends, Arjun and Rakesh entered the office, snatched Suraj’s mobile phone, gagged him and tied his hands and legs. Later, they assaulted him with a belt and demanded Rs 4 crore to release him.

Suraj, held at gunpoint by Arjun, said he would arrange Rs 25 lakh. He called his friend Gurumurthy and asked him to bring the money; he also sent him the location of Pushpa’s house.

Gurumurthy and two of his friends went to the location but they refused to pay Pushpa since they could not find Suraj there.

Pushpa went back to her office and threatened to kill Suraj if he informed his friends about the incident. She also allegedly threatened him with filing a rape complaint.

Later, Pushpa received the money at her home in Suraj’s presence. He was released around 9 pm on the same day and warned against approaching the police.

Suraj, after undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital, filed a police complaint.

Police arrested the duo and recovered Rs 20 lakh from them. They found that the weapon used in the crime was an air gun.