Actress Varshini arrested on charges of assaulting businessman and extortion

Photo: Collected

Police have arrested Indian actress Varshini Venkat. The actress and her associates have been accused of beating up a businessman, intimidating him and extracting Rs 5 lakh 50 thousand from him as he did not agree to invest money in a short film.

Police said evidence of the related financial transactions has been found in Varshini’s bank account. The 28-year-old actress was arrested from her Mylapore residence on 22 September. When she was produced before a court after interrogation, the judge ordered that she be sent to judicial custody.

According to a report by Indian news outlet Hindustan Times, Varshini and several of her friends proposed to a businessman named Tarun that he invest money in their proposed short film. But Tarun did not agree to it. It is alleged that his dispute with the accused began from then on.

The complaint in the case states that when Tarun returned to his room in the early hours of 22 August, he found Varshini, her friend Sanjay and two others already present there. Together they beat Tarun up and at one stage forcibly took Rs 50 thousand in cash from him.

According to the complaint, more money was then demanded over the phone. Tarun was intimidated and forced to send Rs 3 lakh to Varshini’s bank account and Rs 2 lakh to Sanjay’s account. The businessman alleged that the accused did not stop even after taking a total of Rs 5 lakh 50 thousand, including the Rs 50 thousand in cash; rather, he was threatened with a demand for another Rs 27 lakh.

Tarun later lodged a complaint with the police station. Launching an investigation, police verified his bank account information and found evidence of money being transferred to Varshini’s account. The actress was arrested right after that. An iPhone was also seized from her at the time of the arrest.

Police said efforts are under way to arrest Varshini’s other associates involved in the incident.

Source: Hindustan Times