Mangaluru: A couple were arrested on Friday, for honey trapping an astrologer from Chikkamagaluru.
Bhavya,30, from Shanivarasanthe in Kodagu district, and her husband Kumar alias Raju,35, of Arakalagud in Hassan, were arrested, following a complaint lodged by the astrologer.
The couple made the astrologer visit their rented flat at Padavinangady in Mangaluru for pujas and rituals, to solve family issues. Later, the couple extorted Rs 49 lakh by blackmailing the astrologer, by using pictures and videos in which the astrologer was shown in a compromising position.
City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said that the couple sought the help of the astrologer to perform pujas, to solve issues in their house. “The couple shot videos and photos of the astrologer in their flat in a compromising position, during his visit. Later, they blackmailed the astrologer, threatening that the videos and photos will be shared on social media. On several occasions, the accused threatened to murder the astrologer, and extorted Rs 15 lakh and Rs 34 lakh, through various bank transactions. They used to threaten the complainant using the names of police officers and women’s organisations,” the commissioner said.
Mangaluru CCB inspector Mahesh Prasad and his team took up the investigation and cracked the case. Accused Bhavya, a homemaker, and Raju, a car driver, are suspected to have committed similar crimes in the past. A case has been registered at the Mangaluru Rural police station, and an investigation to unearth their past criminal backgrounds is on. The CCB team have seized two gold rings worth Rs 37,000, Rs 31,000 in cash, and four mobile phones from the accused. The police also suspect the involvement of others in the crime, and an investigation in this regard has been taken up, he said.
The accused were leading a luxurious life by using the money they got through laying honey traps. They had taken the flat on lease, by paying Rs 10 lakh, and thereafter spent nearly Rs 7 lakh to buy various items required for the apartment, and also a two-wheeler. The court has sent Bhavya to five days of police custody, for further investigation.