Wily girlfriend extorts Rs. 6.9 Mn from hapless divorcee

A 67-year-old pensioner who had divorced his wife, was defrauded by a woman he had got to know through a marriage proposal published in a newspaper.

She had been intimidating and threatening him from time to time and obtaining money from him. The Nittambuwa Police who conducted an investigation regarding this had taken into custody day before yesterday (06) this woman and two of her assistants.

This pensioner, a resident of Maimbula, Nittambuwa, had worked as an Assistant Manager at a tea estate and then retired. This pensioner who has adult children, had divorced his wife about 10 years ago and had been living at his elder sister’s house, Police said.

He had considered getting married again and published a marriage proposal in a weekend national newspaper, according to the Police.

He had mentioned in his advertisement that he had a fixed deposit of Rs. 2.5 million in his name and invited a woman who owns a house and was below 60 years of age for marriage.

Although he had received many replies to this marriage proposal his attention had been drawn towards a woman from Gannoruwa. She was 57 years of age.

Subsequent to exchanging ideas via the phone, he had gone to meet her based on her invitation to the city of Gampola and it is said that later, he had visited her at her house in Gannoruwa several times. The Police said that during those meetings, the pensioner had kissed his future wife and had fondled her since she was willing.

This woman had given a call to the pensioner recently and stated that when fondling her, a nerve in one of her breasts had burst. She had said she had consulted a doctor and he had said that a surgical operation was required and that it will cost Rs. 3 million. According to the Police, she had then scared this pensioner saying that if he did not give her the money required, she would complain to the Police that he had sexually molested her.

The pensioner who had got scared and deposited Rs. 3 million into a bank account belonging to this woman. The Police said, then once again she had called and harassed him asking for more money, whereupon he had borrowed money from his relatives and friends and put into her account Rs. 3.9 million.

Once he had done that, she had called once again and asked for a sum of Rs. 2.5 million, the Police said. When the pensioner had said it was not possible for him to give her that money, she had got two persons to threaten him with death. The pensioner who had feared for his life had lodged a complaint with the Nittambuwa Police. The Police said, investigations had been carried out based on the complaint and a woman and two men were taken into custody. The Police discovered information that these two men had been posing as a Police officer and a doctor and intimidating the pensioner, as well.

According to the Police the two men were aged 32 and 26. They were residents of Peradeniya and Muruthalawa.

The Police also found Rs. 4.5 million in the bank accounts of this woman from the Rs. 6.9 million, the pensioner had given her.