Woman on a job-hunt blackmailed, robbed of valuables worth over Rs 5 L

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: It was indeed a lucky escape for a married woman who had smartly avoided falling into a supposed trap of a human trafficking racket, while hunting for a job in the city, six months ago.

However little did she know that she would land into another trouble and lose over Rs 5 lakhs to the blackmailers.

The 23-year-old victim was seeking a job when she found a contact number of a person, identified as Mahesh. The man called the victim for an interview at his office in BTM Layout.

Upon visiting the place, the woman realised it was a body massage and spa centre. Shocked, she refused to face the interview and left the place.

Later the woman started getting calls and messages from Mahesh, who allegedly began harassing her.

In a complaint to the police, the woman stated that the accused demanded sexual favours from her and threatened that if she ignored him, he would tell her husband and family about her visit to the spa.

The calls and messages stopped for a few days when she blocked the unidentified numbers, the victim said. But recently she started getting calls from a woman who introduced herself to be Mashesh's mother and claimed that his son has become obsessed with the victim.

The woman further told the victim that if she wants to live peacefully, a special puja must be organised to purify Mahesh's soul. Further the victim was asked to pay for the puja and hand over her gold chain as security.

The woman had promised to return the valuabled after the puja. Depressed by the harassment, the victim was forced to pay Rs 4 lakh to the woman, along with a 24 gram gold chain and two grams gold finger ring.

However when the victim attempted to call the woman to get the valuables back, the numbers had been switched off.

Crestfallen, the victim approached the Banashankari Police Station and filed a complaint against Mahesh and the woman. The police have issued a Look out Circular (LOC) to nab the accused.