The two policemen posted on security duty at the Tripunithura Hill Palace, who were charged with extorting money from a young woman, surrendered before the Hill Palace police on Sunday.
Rajesh of Cherthala, attached to Alappuzha Armed Police, and Aneesh of Kochi, belonging to KAP 1 Battalion, surrendered before the police, a month after the incident. They had allegedly blackmailed a 17-year-old girl from Thiruvankulam and extorted Rs.4,000 from her. She had come to the museum with a male friend.
As the two were about to leave the museum, the policemen in uniform approached them and threatened the girl, saying that their images were captured on the CCTV camera within the palace premises, and that they would reveal this to her parents.
Though the young woman gave them Rs.1,000 that she had with her in wallet, the policemen demanded more money and accompanied her to a nearby ATM from where she withdrew Rs.3,000 using her father’s debit card. Her father received an SMS alert about the withdrawal.
The girl did not go home for fear, following which her father filed a complaint with the Chottanikkara police. The police later found her at her friend’s house in Idukki and came to know about the extortion.
Bail denied
The policemen were absconding ever since a case was registered against them by the Hill Palace police. They also moved the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the case, but their plea was turned down.
The cops allegedly blackmailed a girl who had come to
the museum with
a male friend
