Five Blackmailers Caught Redhanded in Moodbidri
Moodbidri: Five persons were arrested by the police and sent to judicial custody on charges of blackmailing a ‘purohit’ from Guddeyangadi Puttige with a demand for ransom of Rs 2 lakh.
Raghavendra Poojary, the purohit, had performed rituals of exorcism to drive away ghosts from a house in Bantwal and collected Rs 50,000 as his fees. But since no relief was seen, those who had paid him wanted a refund. He had refused to pay.
They informed one Gururaj, who, with the help of a few friends, telephoned Raghavendra Poojary demanding Rs 2 lakh, failing which, they warned, the consequences could be grave.
Accordingly, he asked them to come to his house, where the police were waiting. They were caught red-handed in the act of getting the payment from Raghavendra.
The arrested are Santosh Poojary, said to the co-convener of Moodbidri unit of Bajrang Dal, Gururaj of Bantwal, Rohit of Shishila in Beltangady and Vishwanath and Rohit Kumar of Mangaluru.
On production in court, they have been sent to judicial custody.