Palakkad, 10 June (H.S.):

A 46-year-old woman has been arrested by the Ottapalam Police for allegedly cheating a retired Revenue Department officer of nearly Rs 20 lakh after befriending him and exploiting the relationship over several years.

The accused, identified as Princy, a resident of Paruvassery near Vadakkenchery in Palakkad district, was taken into custody following a complaint lodged by the retired official, who is a native of Ottapalam.

According to police, the complainant came into contact with Princy in 2006 while he was working at the Ottapalam Land Tribunal. What began as a friendship gradually developed into a close relationship. The complainant alleged that over the years, the woman obtained large sums of money, mobile phones, clothing and other valuables from him under various pretexts.

In his complaint, the retired officer stated that Princy later informed him that her family had come to know about their relationship and that she urgently needed a house to stay in. Claiming financial difficulties, she allegedly sought monetary assistance from him. Trusting her, the complainant reportedly availed a loan of Rs 5 lakh from Kerala Bank and handed over the amount to her.

Police said the woman is accused of repeatedly demanding money thereafter and allegedly resorting to threats to extract further payments. The complainant claimed that the harassment intensified in recent years, prompting him to approach the Ottapalam Police in February this year.

During the investigation, police gathered evidence suggesting that the total amount allegedly obtained by the accused from the retired officer was close to Rs 20 lakh.

Investigators also revealed that Princy is facing another case in which she has been accused of cheating a former police officer of around Rs 40 lakh. Police suspect that several other individuals may have fallen victim to a similar pattern of deception and are examining whether more complaints are linked to the accused.

Further investigation is underway.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman