Pics: Dayananda Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Sep 28: This is the story of a woman from the city who used her looks and communication skills to build contacts with rich people and extracted money from them. A seven-member-gang had been formed to help her in this task.

Shilpa, the woman in question, was arrested recently along with her friend, Trupti Kotekar, and six young men, who supported her plans. Allegedly, Shilpa used Trupti as a trap to force a manager of a prestigious bank in the city and force him to shell out money. She sent Trupti to the apartment in Ballabagh where the manager lives, when his wife was not at home. As soon as Trupti entered the manager's apartment and began posing question as a sincere student, a six-member gang of youth knocked on the door, forced the manager to pose with the girl in obscene postures, and threatened to show these photos to his wife and media. After blackmailing him into giving them two blank cheques and gold ornaments, the gang fled from the scene. The gangsters tried to extract money by blackmailing the manager again after a few days, after which he got fed up and approached the police and filed complaint. The gangsters stand arrested as of now.

The names of the arrested gang members have been given as Avinash Konaje, Sachin Padavinangady, Rajesh Shetty, Yathish Poojary, Shrijit and Nitin. They could not arrest Shilpa as she has got herself admitted into a hospital, complaining of leg pain.

As per information, Shilpa, who knew the manager well, had told the manager that a girl related to her was appearing for a bank examination and sought his help and advice. He asked Shilpa to send her to the bank but the lady insisted on sending the girl to his residence, duly requesting him to help the girl.

It is said that there is information about Shilpa's involvement with similar tricks earlier, but the gang members do not seem to have past records of crime. Those trapped by Shilpa earlier have remained tightlipped for the fear of losing their reputation, as per information. The policemen have been closely guarding the identity of the victim bank manager at his request.

The investigation is being conducted by Barke police.