Four persons arrested for extorting businessman

The Thiruporur police have arrested a gang, including a woman, for allegedly extorting Baskar, 40, a businessman from Thirukazhukundram. The accused were identified as Prasanna Balaji, 36, of Mettu Thandalam, Prabhakaran, 33, of Anjur, Kanniyappan, 26, of Ammanam Pakkam, and Ranjitha, 24, of Vada Kadambadi, who ran a beauty parlour. Ranjitha befriended the victim on social media, and the accused used the relationship to blackmail him. They forced Mr. Baskar to send them ₹28,000 as online payments and stole two mobile phones from him, the police said.