Madikeri, July 30: A three member’s gang which blackmailed people taking the help of a woman and grabbed money from the victims was arrested by the team of Kodagu district crime intelligence bureau (DCIB).
K Abdul Rahiman from 7th Hoskote in the district, Hakim and Majeed, residing near Muthappa Temple in the town are the arrested.
Three pairs of police uniform which they reportedly used for the crime, a Hyundai car valued at about nine lakh rupees, cash of about Rs one lakh, and three cell phones, were confiscated from them.
The gang operates a Homestay at Haleri village near Makkandur, Somwarpet taluk. They used to get customers for this facility. The plan was to approach the customers in the pretext of police and force them to part with money. The DCIB which took up investigation succeeded in cracking it and arrested the culprits.
DCIB police inspector, P K Muralidhar, at a press conference held here on Wednesday July 29th, informed about the operations of the gang. He said, after taking a house on lease in Haleri and converting it into Homestay, the gang members indulged in immoral activities.
On April 15th-2015, they got in contact with Bava alias Muhammed from Manandawadi, Kerala assuring him of getting agricultural land on lease to grow ginger, and brought Bava’s friends, K Naushad and Saju to the said Homestay.
When a woman and a young lady, who were in the Homestay, were serving tea to the new guests, the accused who arrived there dressed in police uniforms, threatened Naushad and Saju, and accused them of involvement in theft of pepper, charged them of having sexual relationship with women. They also attacked the duos, and threatened to register cases against them. As a result of which the duo were shocked and confused.
At that moment, a man named Sharfuddin, who is linked with the accused, arrived there. After promising to settle the issue out of legal system, he asked Naushad to pay Rs 25 lakh in order to get out of the problem. After discussions were held between the two sides, the amount was reduced to Rs 13 lakhs. After an agreement was settled on payment, Saju and Naushad were dropped back at Manandawadi.
When Naushad grew suspicious over the matter, he lodged a complaint at Suntikoppa police station. District superintendent of police, Vartika Katiyar, handed over the investigation of the case to DCIB.
In the past too, two cases had been filed against this gang. In one of these cases, the gang had brought Ashraf and Mustafa from Kerala to Madikeri on January 7th -2015, by assuring to strike a deal on purchase of Innova car in the town. They were provided accommodation at the said Homestay. As usual, the accused went to the Homestay in police dress, and succeeded in extracting four lakh rupees from the duo. Regarding this, a complaint was also filed in Suntikoppa police station.
In another case, a person named Muhammed Ashraf was taken to Haleri Homestay after assuring to get him to hire a hotel building in the town, and by the same method, he too was asked to pay Rs 4 lakh. A complaint had been filed about this case also.
