Two Arrested for Allegedly Extorting Rs 42.97 Lakh by Threatening False Cases in Udupi
Udupi: Udupi City Police have arrested two people, including a woman, in Bengaluru for allegedly extorting Rs 42.97 lakh from a man she met through a matrimonial app by threatening to implicate him in false cases and damage his reputation. The court produced the accused and remanded them to judicial custody.
The arrested accused are Nagarathna H. (42), a native of Yadthare in Mayyadi village, Byndoor taluk, who was staying at a paying guest accommodation in Basaveshwar Nagar, Bengaluru, and Hemanth (41), a native of Miyyaru in Karkala taluk, who was staying at a lodge near Majestic in Bengaluru.
Pradeep K., an employee of Nirmaan Multipurpose Souharda Cooperative Society in Udupi, filed the complaint. According to the complaint, Pradeep, who was seeking a suitable marriage match, became acquainted with Nagarathna through the Kannada Jodi matrimonial app in late 2023 or early 2024. She reportedly introduced herself as a Kannada teacher at S. Kadambi Vidya Kendra in Basaveshwar Nagar, Bengaluru, and proposed marriage. Pradeep declined the proposal, stating that he intended to marry someone from his own community.
Nagarathna allegedly continued contacting him through phone calls and messages, initially discussing her personal difficulties and later obtaining money from him in instalments through threats. According to the complaint, a total of Rs 42,97,350 was transferred between January 2024 and January 2026 to bank accounts belonging to Nagarathna, her colleague Hemanth Karkera, her cousin Pramod and her elder sister Renuka.
When Pradeep sought repayment, Nagarathna allegedly threatened to falsely accuse him of having an illicit relationship with her, initiate legal proceedings, and have him sent to jail. She also allegedly threatened to visit his workplace and humiliate him in front of employees and customers.
The complaint further states that she threatened to accuse him of misappropriating funds belonging to the cooperative society and to die by suicide outside its premises after leaving behind a letter containing allegations against him.
A case has been registered at Udupi City Police Station against Nagarathna, Hemanth Karkera, Pramod and Renuka under Crime No. 135/2026. The case invokes Sections 61(2), 316(2), 318(2), 308(2) and 308(6), read with Section 3(5), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
A special police team, formed under the guidance of Police Inspector Mahesh Prasad, apprehended the two accused at Kempegowda Bus Station and Basaveshwar Nagar in Bengaluru on October 26. They were subsequently arrested and produced before the court.
The operation involved Police Sub-Inspectors Bharathesh Kankanawadi and Rathnakara K.; Head Constables Prasanna C., Jeevan Kumar, and Jagannath Naik; and police personnel Hemanth Kumar and Savitha.
