Dhanya Mary Varghese. Onmanorama/File photoThiruvananthapuram: Malayalam actor Dhanya Mary Varghese was Thursday arrested along with her husband and brother-in-law in connection with a Rs 130 crore cheating case by a company promoted by her husband's family, police said.
The actor, along with her husband John Jacob, managing director of Samson and Sons Builders and Developers Private Ltd, and his brother Samuel Jacob, were taken into custody from Nagercoil on complaints from various persons who had invested in apartments and villas promised by the developers, police said.
The trio were picked up from Nagercoil Thursday night and brought to the Kerala capital Friday.
Dhanya was serving as director, sales, in the company, according to the firm's website.
However, according to police, Dhanya, even though not a director in the company, had misled clients by stating on the company website that she was a director.
According to police, Dhanya's father-in-law, Jacob Samson, chairman of the company, had been arrested earlier. He was a former state government employee.
Their real estate company had taken up various projects in Thiruvananthapuram city in 2011, promising to deliver 500 flats and 20 villas within two years. They had collected Rs 100 crore as advance during booking from various people, including non-resident Keralites and another Rs 30 crore promising high interest, police said.
However, when they failed to deliver the promised flats, several people filed complaints with police.
The three had been hiding at Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kerala before they were arrested by a special investigation team constituted by city police commissioner from Nagercoil, police said.
Dhanya Mary Varghese. Onmanorama/File photoDhanya debuted with Tamil film Thirudi.
She has acted in several Malayalam films including Thalappavu, Kerala Cafe, Nayakan, Vairam, Red Chillies and Pranayam, before getting married in January 2012.
(With agency inputs)
