HYDERABAD: Mahankali police have arrested a man who allegedly threatened a couple who came to Necklace Road and forcibly took money and cash from them, on Monday.

According to information given by Inspector Kaveti Srinivas, Marathi Srujan Kumar (45) of Borabanda was an old offender. As he got accustomed to luxuries, Srujan started targeting young couples who come to various parks in the city and on Necklace Road for easy money. He would go to the parks, locate couples, and tell them that he was a police officer and threatened to inform their parents. He would tell them that if they didn't want a case they would have to pay him money. The victims out of fear would give him money and leave.

Similarly, on the 15th of this month, while a couple was on Necklace Road, the accused went and threatened them that he was the police and demanded to know as to what they were doing here. He asked them to call their parents and come to the police station. He demanded Rs 2 Lakh from them if they did not want a case foisted on them. The couple decided that they would pay up to avoid trouble at home. Since they didn't have so much cash, he instead took them to Chandana Brothers showroom in Patny Centre and purchased 45 grams of gold jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh. The couple paid the bill using their ATM card. After he left they realised they were duped and approached the Mahankali police station the next day and lodged a complaint.

DI Purushottam, who registered the case, along with DSI Naresh, arrested the accused on Monday. A mobile phone, a two-wheeler along with 22 grams of gold was recovered from the accused. The accused already had 17 robbery and kidnapping cases registered against him in the Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Warangal.