Couple sitting in park threatened by Home Guard, fleeced of Rs 1,000

BENGALURU: In yet another case of alleged extortion by the keepers of the law, a couple who were sitting in a park were allegedly made to cough up Rs 1,000 through online transfer by a Home Guard posing as a policeman.

Last Saturday, a couple had gone to the Kundalahalli park by the Kundalahalli lake late afternoon, and since it was sunny, they sat down on a bench under a tree. A Home Guard who arrived there, suddenly started clicking pictures of the couple.

The Kundalahalli Park adjacent to Kundalahalli lake.

When they questioned him about it and what they had done wrong, he told them he was a policeman and questioned them what they were doing in the park and who gave them permission to enter. He also threatened them of filing a case and asked them to come to the police station.

The woman narrated her ordeal in a Twitter thread and tagged the city police.

He then extorted Rs 1,000 from the couple by getting them to transfer it online. However, the woman managed to click a picture of him on his motorcycle and Tweeted about her experience, tagging the Bengaluru police. The police, who immediately took up investigation, found that it was Home Guard Manjunath Reddy, posted to guard the lake, who had extorted the couple.

DCP Girish said the Home Guard got the couple to pay up Rs 1,000 through Google Pay.

“There is a park adjoining the lake. A Home Guard attached to the BBMP threatened the couple saying that they needed permission to sit in the park and got them to transfer Rs 1,000 through Google Pay. Based on the woman’s tweet, we have picked up the Home Guard and he is in the custody of the HAL police. We have informed the complainant to also visit the police station. On the basis of her complaint, we will take further action”, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Girish.