Bengaluru: A day after conman L. Somanna, who posed as BJP MLC V. Somanna and duped businessmen in Bengaluru and Mysuru, surrendered before a local court after remaining untraceable since he gave the police the slip on April 12, three people, including a woman, who had facilitated his stay while he was on the run were arrested by the police.
Somanna (39), a resident of Sahakara Nagar, was arrested on March 31, 2018 by the Basaveshwar Nagar police on charges of cheating several businessmen.
He escaped from police custody in Chitradurga. On April 12, Somanna was taken to Mahalakshmi Jewellers in Chitradurga, where he had allegedly pledged the gold he got from jewellers in Bengaluru.
As the inquiry was going on, Somanna asked and got permission to attend nature's call. As he was heading towards a toilet, he pushed a police constable who was keeping guard, and escaped despite being handcuffed.
Somanna who remained untraceable for eight days surrendered before the Fifth ACMM Court on Friday. Based on the information given by him, the police arrested Balaji (48) and Sarita (37), both residents Sahakara Nagar, and Vijaya Kumar (49), a resident of Shanappanahalli in Devanahalli taluk, for giving him shelter after he escaped from police custody.
Somanna cheated several businessmen claiming to be a former MLC and an MLA aspirant from Molakalmuru constituency in the Assembly election.
He was arrested after a jeweller, Dheeraj D.N., filed a complaint saying Somanna never paid Rs 94 lakh for mangalsutras and gold coins, which he claimed to have distributed for couples in a mass marriage ceremony in Mysuru.
