The Ernakulam Central police on Sunday arrested a man who allegedly extorted ₹3 lakh and valuables from a Kochi-based businessman, after taking him to Mysore on the garb of showing him a prospective bride.
Anvar Ibrahim, 43, of Vadakara was part of a gang who befriended the businessman from Kozhikode and took him to a house in a remote area in Mysore in February 2019. The gang members posed as the prospective bride and her family.
They locked him in a room and clicked his pictures in a compromising position with the woman. Meanwhile, the other gang members, posing as police personnel, threatened and robbed him of ₹1 lakh and a watch. He was also made to sign three stamp papers, threatening that they would otherwise make him an accused in sexual assault and narcotics cases. He was later forced to part with ₹2 lakh. The third accused was arrested earlier.
The police are on the lookout for the other members of the gang.
Three persons arrested on charge of cylinder theft
Three persons were arrested in connection with the alleged theft of LPG cylinders from Azad Road, Kaloor, on Sunday.
The Ernakulam North police arrested Shiron Bachu, 37, of Palarivattom; Bennet, 54, Mamangalam, and Abdul Wahid, 41, of Thammanam. They have been charged with making away with gas cylinders kept on the road, which were to be supplied to customers.
An inquiry based on CCTV visuals revealed that Bennet and Shiron were involved in the theft. Abdul Wahid bought the cylinders knowing that they had been stolen, the police said.
Two held for stealing goods worth ₹5 lakh
The Ernakulam Rural police on Sunday arrested two persons on the charge of stealing goods worth over ₹5 lakh from a locked house in Aluva.
They are Anand, 33, a native of Palakkad, and Senthil Kumar, 33, of Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. The police said they had broken open the rear door of the house and made away with expensive goods, including a diamond-studded watch, LED TV, video camera, binoculars, antique flower vases, expensive gold plated pen, and furniture.
