Businesswoman dupes car owners of 1.5 crore, held

Coimbatore: The city crime branch police on Friday arrested a 39-year-old woman for duping around 15 people of 1.5 crore by getting their luxury cars on the pretext of rental business and pledging them without their knowledge to lead a posh life.
According to an official source, a team led by city crime branch police inspector P Renugadevi nabbed Yasodadevi, 39, wife of Venkatesh Kanna, of Swathika Avenue at Chinna Mettupalayam near Saravanampatti, while she was negotiating a property deal worth 1 crore in the city.
Police have recovered seven cars from her. “We are trying to recover another 13 cars from her. We have seized seven mobile phones and two laptops from her,” an investigation officer told TOI.
The officer said they caught her based on a complaint that K Ranganathan, 42, of Vesanapatti village near Udumalpet in Tirupur district, lodged with them in February this year.
“He contacted Yasodadevi in 2020 after seeing an advertisement inviting car owners to attach their new model cars to Anu Adityaa Transport and Logistics Private Limited for monthly rent. He then met her in person at her rental house on Thudiyalur Road and signed an agreement to provide his car for rental business from October 1, 2020 to October 1, 2021 for a monthly payout of 22,000,” the officer said.
Ranganathan, the officer said, was paid the rental amount for two months. “When he didn’t get the amount in the third month, Ranganathan tried to contact Yasodadevi, but her mobile phone was switched off. When he went to her rental house, he found that she had vacated the place.”
Ranganathan, the officer said, started collecting more information about Yasodadevi and came to know she had cheated Narenkumar, of Velampalayam in Tirupur; Muthukumar, of Sundakkampalayam near Udumalpet; and Hariharan of Chennimalai in Tirupur district in a similar fashion.
“Based on his complaint, we registered a case against Yasodadevi under sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code. Preliminary investigation revealed that the cars she had taken on rent were pledged to lawyers and politicians for 3 lakh to 5 lakh,” the officer said.
Yasodadevi was remanded in judicial custody on Friday.