Hyderabad: Couple cheats priest, held

Hyderabad: In a criminal incident that occurred in Moinabad, a 58-year-old priest of a church lodged a complaint on 18th October.

Woman approaches priest

Giving the details of the incident, the priest mentioned that on Sunday, 11th August at 3 p.m., a 23-year-old woman approached him with a request to pray for her health as she has been ailing for quite some time. The priest prayed for her.

The woman informed the priest that she is the chairperson of hotel business and she has seven hotels. On the same day at 4 p.m. when the priest came out of his house located at Moinabad for going to Secunderabad Church, the woman insisted that he should take her along with him. She also said that he is like her father. She developed close contacts with the priest.

Later, the woman spent some time at Wonderla Resort and AMP cinema at Shamsabad. She also took some photographs.

Woman receives Rs. 10 lakh from priest

The next day, she went to the church again and told the priest that she got the tender of KFC approved for which Rs. 1.5 crore have to be paid and she demanded Rs. 10 lakh from the priest. Believing her statement, the priest gave her Rs. 10 lakh.

Ten days later, on 2nd October, she contacted the priest on cellphone and informed him that the tender has been granted. She also said that the concerned officials are visiting Shankerpally resort and requested him to come there. The priest consented. The woman booked cottage number 2 at the resort and arranged dinner on the 2nd and 3rd floors. She mixed some intoxicants in apple juice and gave it to the priest. The priest fell unconscious and found in the bathroom tub.

Later, an unknown person came and putting pistol on his head threatened the priest and got his signatures on a bond paper in which it was stated that the priest has taken Re. 1 crore as a loan. The man also threatened the priest that in case the amount is not repaid, he would be killed.

Terrified with this, the priest gave him Rs. 10 lakh more.

The priest lodged a complaint with the police. On investigation, it was revealed that the woman and her 30-year-old husband, M. Vijay Kumar hatched this conspiracy to take money from the priest.

Moinabad Police arrested the couple and raided their house located at Hyderabad. Police found a toy pistol and the bond paper on which priest’s signature was taken. Police also seized photographs, six cellphones, passport and fake bottles of blood.

The accused M. Vijay Kumar told that he is running a hotel in Gachibowli in which he incurred a loss of Rs. 2 crore. He had married the 23-year-old woman a year back at Birla Temple in Hyderabad. The woman used to work as Air Hostess earlier.

During her service, she had fallen in love with this man. Both wife and husband hatched this conspiracy to blackmail the priest. Moinabad Police registered cases against them under relevant sections. Later, they were given in judicial custody.