Hyderabad woman arrested for 'kidnapping' TV anchor after she was duped of ₹40 lakh: report

A Hyderabad businesswoman, who allegedly stalked and later kidnapped a TV music channel anchor, has been arrested. She kidnapped Pranav Sistla after a man, impersonating him, duped her of ₹40 lakh, police said on Saturday.

The woman, Bhogireddy Trisha, the managing director of five startup companies, had allegedly installed a tracking device on the TV anchor's car to stalk him and monitor his movements, according to India Today.

Thirty-one-year-old Trisha saw the photos of the TV anchor on a matrimony website and started chatting with the account holder, who was impersonating Sistla, two years ago. Gradually, the two became familiar with each other and started chatting over WhatsApp and Instagram.

The accused, Chaitanya Reddy, later asked ₹40 lakh from Trisha as an investment amount and promised a great return on it as well. However, after receiving the money, Reddy started avoiding her calls and messages following which, she contacted him via phone. But, the story took a twist after she found out that it was a fake account of the TV anchor. Sistla also told her that he had lodged an FIR in Cyber Crime against the account.

After getting constant unwanted messages from Trisha, Sistla blocked her number. However, Trisha, who was described by the police as “appearing to be an intimacy-seeking stalker”, planned to kidnap the anchor to “sort out things”.

She made her office colleague join her in this crime by offering him money in return. The man installed an Apple AirTag on Sistla's car to keep an eye on his movements.

On February 11, Trisha hired four people to kidnap the anchor and bring Sistla to her office. He was later assaulted by the goons in Trisha's office.

Fearing for his life, the TV anchor agreed to respond to the woman's calls and only then was he let off, police said.

He later lodged a complaint with Uppal police station, and a case was registered under 363 (kidnapping), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

During the course of the investigation, the police apprehended the accused woman along with the four men who were hired to carry out the abduction.

Further investigation is on.