Udupi police have apprehended a Byndoor woman and a Karkala man in Bengaluru, in connection with a major extortion case involving a matrimony application. The duo allegedly coerced an Udupi resident into transferring approximately Rs 42.97 lakh by threatening false accusations and self-harm. The arrests of Nagarathna H. (42) and Hemanth (41) took place on October 26, 2026, following a complaint filed at the Udupi City Police Station.
The victim, Pradeep K., an employee at Nirmala Vividhoddesha Souharda Sahakari Sangha in Udupi, encountered Nagarathna H. through the Kannada Jodi matrimony app in late 2023 or early 2024. Nagarathna, who identified herself as a Kannada language teacher in Bengaluru and a native of Henberu, Byndoor taluk, reportedly proposed marriage. Pradeep, however, declined the offer, stating his preference to marry within his own community.
Following the refusal, Nagarathna allegedly began a sustained campaign of harassment, making continuous calls and sending messages to Pradeep. She reportedly cited personal difficulties to solicit financial aid. When Pradeep sought the return of the funds, Nagarathna escalated her threats. These included fabricating claims of an illicit relationship, damaging his reputation at his workplace in Udupi, filing false police cases, and even threatening to accuse him of misusing cooperative society funds. In a particularly alarming instance, she allegedly threatened self-immolation outside his office after leaving a false note, as detailed in Pradeep's complaint. Over the period from January 2024 to January 2026, Pradeep transferred a total of Rs 42,97,350 to various bank accounts, including those belonging to Nagarathna, her colleague Hemanth Karkera, her cousin Pramod, and her sister Renuka.
Acting on Pradeep's complaint (Crime No. 135/2026 under the Indian Nyaya Sanhita), Udupi City Police formed a special team led by Inspector Mahesh Prasad. The team, comprising PSI Bharatesh Kankanwadi, PSI Ratnakar K., Head Constables Prasanna C., Jeevan Kumar, Jagannath Nayak, Police Constable Hemanth Kumar, and Woman Police Constable Savitha, launched an operation in Bengaluru. They successfully apprehended Nagarathna, a resident of Mayyadi village, Byndoor taluk, and Hemanth, originally from Miryaru, Karkala taluk, from the Kempegowda Bus Stand and Basaveshwara Nagar areas. Both accused were subsequently presented before the investigating officer and formally arrested.
Image: kundapraa.com
📰 Source: Kundapra