Shwetha Gowda, 26, from Bagalagunte, was taken into custody after authorities seized gold, a car, and other valuables from her possession. Police have also issued a notice to former minister Varthur Prakash, asking him to attend an inquiry. Prakash confirmed he would report to the police station on Monday.
Gowda, who falsely claimed to be a close associate of Varthur Prakash, made multiple visits to Navaratna Jewellers, owned by Sanjay Bafa, over several weeks. She told Bafa that she was planning to open a gold outlet and wanted to purchase gold from his store.
Between October 26 and December 8, Gowda convinced Bafa to deliver a total of 2.945 kg of gold worth Rs 2.42 crore, saying she needed to show it to her family. However, she never made any actual purchases. When Bafa demanded the return of the gold or payment, Gowda allegedly threatened him.
Police traced Gowda to Mysuru and arrested her. It was revealed that she had been previously arrested by Yelahanka police in a similar case, using the same method to cheat another jeweler.
Varthur Prakash responded to the situation, stating, “Shwetha introduced herself as a social worker three months ago, but I haven’t had any contact with her since. I was unaware of her dealings with the jeweler and only learned about it from the police. I will attend the inquiry on Monday.”
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