Date:16/03/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/03/16/stories/2004031614720500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Woman cooks up robbery story

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 15. It wasn't a robbery but extortion. Investigations by the police have proved that the alleged robbery of 40 tolas gold ornaments at knifepoint from the house of a trader, Vasanth Kumar Jain, at Asbestos Staff Colony in Karkhana on February 27 was a concocted story.

"A cloth salesman, Saleem, took away jewellery from the trader's wife, Swaroopa Rani, by threatening to expose the alleged intimacy he had developed with her teenaged daughter", the Mahankali ACP, M. Diwakar, said on Monday. She cooked up the robbery story to cover up the loss of property. Her husband lodged a complaint with the police believing her version, the ACP said. While the alleged extortionist, Saleem Sadruddin Daridya (26), was picked up, his accomplice, Neetu, was still at large. A total of 20 tolas gold were recovered from Saleem.

Initially, Ms. Swaroopa maintained that four knife-wielding persons took away jewellery and Rs. 10,000 in cash. "Our first suspicion was on timing of the robbery. The fact that robbers chose not to bolt the house from outside while leaving the place was another doubt," the ACP said. Moreover, her version was quite contradictory to that of Musluiddin to whom she had informed about the robbery first. Musliuddin was working with a private security agency located on the first floor of Mr. Jain's house. "This only pointed the needle of suspicion towards Ms. Swaroopa, who spilled the beans during questioning", the ACP explained.

Saleem had allegedly developed friendship with her daughter and used to frequent her house. Later, he threatened the woman that he would expose his relation with the daughter and demanded that jewellery be given to him. "Thus, Ms. Swaroopa began to part with gold ornaments now and then", the police said. On February 27 morning, Ms. Swaroopa created a robbery scene and tried to get a false case registered. The Inspector, K. Mahipal Reddy, and the Sub-Inspector, Girish, investigated the case.