Man poses as politician to con businessmen, nabbed

BENGALURU: Basaveshwaranagar police on Sunday arrested a 39-year-old man who was posing as a politician and cheating businessmen and jewellery shop owners across the city. The accused also had misused the name of an influential political leader from Vijaynagar.

The arrested is L Somanna alias MLC Somanna, a native of Mysuru who was residing in an apartment in Sahakaranagar. He claimed to be a prospective Assembly candidate from Molakalmuru in Mysuru and had approached some businessmen for donations.

A senior police officer said that on February 21, Dheeraj D N, a jewellery shop owner, had filed a case with Basaveshwaranagar police and alleged that Somanna had come to his shop and had taken away gold worth `94 lakh claiming that he had organised mass marriages in Mysuru district and was donating the gold to 51 couples. He also claimed that he often conducted social service activities in Mysuru as he wanted to become popular in view of the upcoming elections.

When Dheeraj asked him repeatedly to pay for the gold, Somanna started avoiding him. Based on CCTV footage, police gathered details of the accused and came to learn that Somanna was a habitual offender. He had been arrested earlier by Vyalikaval and Kodigehalli police in the city.

DCP-West Ravi D Chennanavar stated in a press release: “Interrogation revealed that Somanna approached government employees and offered them land sites and loans. He would collect some money as service charge and then escape from the city for a while. So far we have received a couple of complaints. Those who were cheated by Somanna can file a case with the West Division police or contact senior police officers to share further details. They can call 080-22943232 or 9480801729.”