CHENNAI: Royapuram police arrested a 47-year-old woman Congress functionary and her husband in connection with an alleged Rs 30 lakh cheating case dating back to 2024.
The arrested were identified as Thilagavathi, 47, vice-president of the women’s wing of the South Chennai West district Congress, and her husband Sivakumar, 51. They were arrested on Thursday and remanded in judicial custody.
According to the police, the case was registered at Royapuram police station under Sections 120(B) and 420 of the IPC.
The complainant, Mohammed Farooq, 49, vice-president of the North Chennai district Congress, alleged that the couple approached him in October 2024 seeking financial assistance, claiming that their daughter had secured a medical college seat and they needed money for her admission.
The couple also allegedly told Farooq that they owned a property in Choolaimedu, which had been mortgaged for Rs 8 lakh with East West Benefit Fund, and sought financial assistance to redeem it. They allegedly promised to repay the principal along with interest after recovering and selling the property.
Police said Farooq transferred Rs 18 lakh to the couple through RTGS on October 3, 2024. When he sought a cheque or property documents as security, the couple allegedly asked for another Rs 12 lakh, claiming they needed the money for their daughter's education.
Farooq allegedly arranged Rs 8 lakh as a loan from a friend and gave it to them on October 21, 2024, after informing them that he could arrange only Rs 4 lakh from the sale of his wife's jewellery.
When Farooq later sought execution of the sale deed, the couple allegedly kept postponing it. During a visit to the property in June 2025, he allegedly learnt that it had been mortgaged with a private bank for Rs 16 lakh and that a related case was pending before the 10th Additional Sessions Court.
Farooq subsequently approached the Joint Commissioner of Police, North Zone, following which a case was registered and an investigation launched.
Inspector of the Royapuram police station arrested the two suspects on Thursday and produced them before a court, which remanded them in judicial custody.