Times of
India: Kochi: Monday, July 27, 2015.
Police have arrested two members of a gang, which
duped money from builders, after filing right to information (RTI)
applications. The gang would secure information on permit violations by
builders through RTI reply and would blackmail them impersonating as mediapersons.
Mattancherry police have arrested Salahuddeen of
Vandoor in Malappuram and a minor boy hailing from Panoor in Kannur. Police are
yet to arrest Rajneesh Babu of Mattancherry. They have seized two knives,
sketch of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry areas prepared using Google map and
several RTI replies from the arrested.
The sketch seized by the police had map of areas
in Fort Kochi including a prominent temple in Cherlai area. "Once the
information was gathered through RTI, they would reach the construction site.
They would then tell the builder that they were from newspaper named 'Nagaram',
which is going to be published soon. Then would take photographs of the
buildings to threaten the builders, who would offer them money,'' said P M
Byju, circle inspector, Mattancherry.
Though some of the local residents were wary that
the gang had terror links, police ruled it out. "As per our investigation,
they are only into blackmailing. We couldn't find any terror link,'' said K G
James, city police commissioner, Kochi.
Around 10 days ago, the duo along with
Rajneesh Babu arrived at an inn attached to a temple in Cherlai. Then, they met
some of the councillors in the area and collected money as part of raising
funds for 'the newspaper they were to start immediately'. "They collected
Rs 1,000 as donation from me for the paper. When they approached me, they
introduced themselves giving Hindu names,'' said Syamala S Prabhu, councillor
from Cherlai. "A couple of days later, a taxi driver reached Cherlai and inquired
about one Salahuddeen residing in the inn. As the inn is attached to a temple,
rooms are allotted only to Hindus. When we reached there inquiring about the
incident none of the three were present,'' she said.
According to the taxi driver, they had hired his
car a few days ago and vanished after getting off near Thoppumpady for
'business purpose'. "When the driver called them up, the gang told him
that they were at Angamaly and would pay him the next day. On failing to get
the taxi charges, he reached Cherlai. "Then, I checked the phone number
they gave to me with the one which the taxi driver had. Both numbers were the
same. We called up, but they didn't pick up. For the next two days, we kept
watching and the trio came on Sunday. On seeing us the person named as Rajneesh
Babu ran away, but we could catch Salavuddeen and the minor boy,'' she said.
Police said that they produced Salavuddeen before
the court, which remanded him to judicial custody. The minor boy was produced
before juvenile court and later sent to a juvenile home in Kakkanad.