CHENNAI: A 37-year-old Special Sub Inspector of Police (SSI) arrested earlier this year by the Tambaram City Police for allegedly raping and cheating a 30-year-old woman who had earlier won a beauty pageant was removed from service.

An order of removal of service was issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Chennai) of the Motor Transport wing, where the accused SSI was working before his suspension.

The accused policeman, Andrew Caldwell was suspended in the beginning of the year 2022 after a case was registered against him. Police said that the SSI got acquainted with the victim during a sapling planting event by a NGO, the woman was part of. The victim, a social worker lived in ECR (East Coast Road), police said.

She had shared her problem with Andrew Caldwell, wherein a contractor allegedly cheated her by not beginning construction on her land after taking money from her.

"The woman's parents too passed away. Caldwell, who became close with the woman told her that he would help ward off the evil spirits that caught her house and kept her under house arrest for over a month to perform prayers," a police official said.

The man had a physical relationship with the victim and promised to marry her by the end of 2021, said the police. Caldwell had also lied that he was only 30 years old and that he looked old since because of heavy work, police investigations revealed.

Caldwell allegedly grabbed several properties and valuables from her. When she threatened to go to police, Caldwell had blackmailed that he would share the morphed images online. Pallikaranai police registered a case against Caldwell for offence, including rape and three others for breach of trust and cheating in February last year. He went into hiding in Kolkata and was secured by a special team.