Bengaluru: The Jnanabharathi police have arrested three people, including a woman, for cheating a local politician of Rs 10 lakh after befriending him on Facebook.
The police said the victim, L. Srinivas, a resident of Nagarabavai and JD(S) general secretary had filed a complaint last Tuesday stating that a woman, who had befriended him on Facebook, cheated him of Rs 9 lakh.
Based on the complaint, the police formed a special team and arrested the three accused, identified as P Harini alias Swati alias Swati Gowda alias Khushi, 25, Ravi Pengappa, 40 and V Prakash, 39, all residents of Tigalarapalya in Andarahalli main road.
According to the police, the prime accused, Harini befriended Srinivas this year in the month of August and she first texted him on Varalakshmi festival and wished him. Later the two continued to text each other and became good friends.
Accused
Soon she expressed that she wanted to open a dance class and she was ready to invest up to Rs 2 crore. Few days later, she messaged him saying that her father had arranged Rs 2 crore for a building and she was all set to start her dance classes there, but was falling short of Rs 3 lakh. Srinivas believed her and agreed to lend her the money. She had told him that her brother would come to pick the money and the two met near a bus stand in Bangalore University campus where he handed over the money to him.
Few days later, she again messaged him and requested him to lend her Rs 10 lakh as her father was not in town, believing her he agreed to lend Rs 7 lakh and she asked him to hand over the money to her manager, who would pick it up from the same place. After handing over the money, on the same evening, he tried calling her, but her mobile was switched off. She went incommunicado, he soon realised that he was conned and immediately filed a complaint with Jnanabharathi police.
The police have registered a case and recovered cash of Rs 4.5 lakh, an autorickshaw and a mobile phone from the accused.
