Disguised as man, woman dupes minor

According to the police, the 16-year-old victim did not suspect her ‘boyfriend’ until the treachery of Karthikeyani alias Saroja was revealed during a police inquiry on Friday.

Sporting a shirt and trouser, and a boyish haircut, Saroja resembled a young man. She pretended her name was Vishnu Bala. “Vishnu Bala met the minor girl in Kodumudi a few months ago. Disguised as a man, she became her friend and soon got into a relationship,” police said.

Meanwhile, finding that 12 sovereigns of gold jewellery were missing from the locker of the house, the victim’s mother questioned her. However, at that time, she claimed ignorance. Thereafter, three more sovereigns went missing from the locker.

After repeated disappearance of gold jewellery from the house, the woman lodged a complaint with Kodumudi police, who on questioning the girl found that she had given the jewellery to her ‘boyfriend’.

Then, using the victim girl, the police lured ‘Vishnu Bala’ to come to Kodumudi railway station to meet her. When he arrived, he was taken into police custody.

“Vishnu initially gave contradictory replies to our questions and his voice too seemed feminine, which triggered a suspicion among the officers,” police said.

On further grilling, it was revealed that Vishnu was actually a woman who had disguised herself as a man.

Following her arrest, three sovereigns of gold jewellery were seized from her possession. She was produced in the court and lodged at the Coimbatore Central Prison.