The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Woman among four held on extortion charge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Woman among four held on extortion charge

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 22. The police arrested four youngsters, including a girl, who have allegedly extorted Rs.25,000 from a municipal employee after luring him to come to Hyderabad with the promise of a `romantic evening' on the eve of Valentine's Day.

The woman, Kumari, aged 18, had called up the victim, Moin Baba, working as sanitary inspector in Siddipet town, and invited him to come to the city. He was asked to wait at a rendezvous in Banjara Hills from where the girl picked him up in a car. He was later driven to a secluded spot where her accomplices joined her and forcibly collected money from Baba. Baba had to call up his friend to get some money.

Announcing the arrest at a press conference here on Tuesday, the Additional Commissioner of Police, A.K. Khan, said the fifth accused person was still at large. The arrested persons were Md. Imran, 23, Akhil Ahmed, 21, Md. Ibrahim, 24, and Maddipatla Hyma Kumari, 18. The girl was stated to be the daughter of an Excise Inspector working in Vizianagaram while her mother worked in the NIMS in Hyderabad.

Lure of lucre

Mr. Khan said that the girl, an Intermediate student, was befriended by Imran at a coffee parlour in Somajiguda. "It seems Imran roped in Kumari into the extortion plan saying they can make a fast buck if she can lure a wealthy man to a secret place," Mr. Khan explained. Kumari agreed to take part in the plan "out of friendship".

Imran was stated to have zeroed in on Moin Baba who hailed from a well-to-do family. After getting Baba's mobile number, Imran was alleged to have persuaded Kumari to call him up. Believing her, Baba came to Hyderabad on February 13 night. He was taken to a secluded place near Secret Lake. The car belonged to Imran.

Imran, Ahmed, Ibrahim and Arafath got into the car later and threatened to kill Moin Baba if he failed to pay Rs. 50,000. At their instance, the inspector called up his friend, Shakeel, in Siddipet and asked him to get the money. The assailants then collected Rs.15,000 from Shakeel at Mehdipatnam and Rs.10,000 from Baba before fleeing. The arrested persons were being produced before the court.

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