Police Arrest Accused in Casino Winnings Extortion 8 Apprehended for Extorting Rs. 15 Lakh

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru city police have successfully apprehended a group of eight individuals accused of abducting and extorting money from a tea vendor who had recently won a significant sum of Rs. 25 lakh at a casino in Goa. The Hanumanta Nagar police tracked down and arrested the suspects in Shirdi, Maharashtra, as they attempted to evade capture by fleeing Bengaluru upon learning that law enforcement was in pursuit.

The apprehended individuals, identified as Karthik, Rahul, Manoj Kumar, Eshwar, Ram Kumar, Mohan, Nischal Gowda, and Varun, had orchestrated a scheme to escape to Goa from Bengaluru following their act of extorting money from tea vendor Tilak M Manikanta. This group had managed to evade authorities by moving through Mumbai before seeking refuge in Shirdi.

Interestingly, two of the accused, Karthik AKA Psycho and Rahul AKA Pandu, were already known to the police, as they were listed as rowdy sheeters at the Banashankari and VV Puram police stations, respectively.

The victim of this ordeal, Manikanta, a roadside tea seller hailing from Bengaluru, had tasted luck at a Goa casino and walked away with an impressive Rs. 25 lakh. However, upon returning to his hometown, Manikanta found himself in troubled waters. His close associates, who were aware of his winnings, abducted him and coerced him into transferring a substantial portion of his winnings, amounting to Rs. 15 lakh, into their accounts.

Manikanta was a frequent visitor to Goa's casinos, and on July 30, he embarked on a trip with his friend to Goa with a cash sum of Rs. 4 lakh. After securing a significant victory at a casino, he discreetly had Rs. 25 lakh transferred to his bank account, refraining from sharing this news with his friends.

Nonetheless, he inadvertently revealed his windfall by posting a WhatsApp status update upon his return to Bengaluru. Exploiting this knowledge, his friends, along with accomplices, abducted him on August 5 and proceeded to extort the aforementioned sum from him.

On August 6, Manikanta lodged a formal complaint at the Hanumanthanagar police station, triggering a swift response from law enforcement. Subsequently, all eight culprits were arrested, and a sum of Rs. 10 lakh was successfully recovered from their possession.

According to the complaint, the perpetrators forcibly led him to an isolated location near Bengaluru University and compelled him to initiate an online funds transfer of Rs 15 lakh into their accounts.

Authorities have registered a case against the accused individuals, charging them with kidnapping, extortion, criminal intimidation, and other relevant sections.