Second spa staffer arrested in ₹4 lakh cop extortion case in Kochi; suspended SI still on the run

The Kochi City Police on Monday arrested one more accused in connection with the extortion case in which a suspended sub-inspector and two spa employees allegedly blackmailed and extorted ₹4 lakh from a civil police officer.

The arrested, Ramya (39) of Vaikom, is a staff member at the Royal Wellness Spa in Edappally. Her arrest comes a day after her colleague, PS Shiham, was arrested and remanded.

The prime accused, Grade Sub-Inspector KK Baiju of Palarivattom Police Station, remains absconding even as the investigation gathers pace. Baiju was suspended from service on Sunday by Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya pending a detailed departmental inquiry. A manhunt is underway to trace Baiju, who had disappeared soon after the case was registered.

According to the FIR, Baiju allegedly conspired with Ramya and Shiham to extort money from a civil police officer attached to the Kochi City Armed Reserve. The complainant had visited the Edappally spa on August 8 for a body massage, after which Ramya called him the next day, claiming that a gold chain she had removed during the session had gone missing. She accused him of theft and demanded ₹6.5 lakh.

When the victim refused and suggested filing a complaint, the threats escalated. Shiham allegedly called repeatedly, warning that the officer’s spa visit would be revealed to his wife and family, while the trio also threatened to release CCTV footage. SI Baiju then allegedly entered the scene as a “mediator”, pressuring the victim to avoid a case and coercing him into transferring ₹4 lakh in instalments, part of which Baiju is believed to have pocketed.

The police said that Shiham has already admitted to receiving ₹1 lakh, and they are now examining how much Baiju and Ramya received. “Their custodial interrogation is crucial to confirm the entire money trail and check whether similar extortion tactics were used on other customers,” a senior officer said. The case was booked under BNS 308(2) for extortion/robbery and BNS 3(5) for acts committed in furtherance of common intention. The police expect more details to emerge once Baiju is tracked down.