Three persons, including a girl, were arrested on charges of extortion and threatening to kidnap a child.
Farvez Nisha (19), a native of Kothavalasa in Vizianagaram district, who was staying at Kallupakalu in the city along with her parents worked for a brief period at a travel agency near NAD Junction and developed friendship with Konathala Saikumar (19), whom she later married secretly at Simhachalam temple, and Chukka Jyothi Prasad (20). The three allegedly planned the extortion threats.
In July this year, Nisha joined a homoeopathy hospital at Dabagardens run by Dr. Sarita Pathra and her husband Rajendra Kumari Behari. Nisha and Sai Kumar as a way to lead a comfortable life, allegedly decided to make money through extortion with the help of Jyothi Prasad. Nisha allegedly sent an SMS to a resident of VUDA Colony in Madhavadhara Nazahath Sultana, who was bringing her nephew Sohail for treatment at the homoeopathy hospital, believing the boy to be her son and demanded Rs. 2 lakh failing which the boy would be killed.
Another SMS was sent to Ms. Sultana on August 24 asking her to pay Rs. 50,000 at Gnanapuram. The victim had already lodged a complaint with the police and a police party that went to Gnanapuram side of the railway station, apprehended Nisha and the other two accused Saikumar and Jyothi Prasad, who were waiting a few yards away, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Atchuta Rao told a media conference on Friday.
The accused had also allegedly sent SMS to the proprietor of a medical shop threatening to harm his daughter if he did not give Rs.1 lakh to them, and to Dr. Sarita Pathra threatening to kill her son if she failed to pay Rs. 2 lakh.
Assistant Commissioners of Police S. Venkata Rao (East) and B. Prasada Rao (North) and Kancharapalem Inspector Tata Rao were present.
