A shocking incident has emerged in Bengaluru, where a 25-year-old pre-school principal, Sridevi Rudagi, was arrested for blackmail and extortion after an illicit relationship with a student’s father. Two accomplices, 38-year-old Ganesh Kale and 28-year-old Sagar, were also involved. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested all three and sent them to judicial custody for 14 days.
According to the police, the victim is a businessman living in West Bengaluru with his wife and three daughters. In 2023, he enrolled his youngest daughter, aged five, in the school where Sridevi was the principal. During the admission process, he met Sridevi, and their communication gradually increased through messages and video calls. The businessman used a separate SIM card and phone for this. Over time, the relationship became personal, which Sridevi allegedly exploited.
Initially, Sridevi extorted ₹4 lakh from the businessman, followed by a demand for ₹15 lakh in January. When he hesitated, she visited his home under the pretext of borrowing ₹50,000. Meanwhile, facing business struggles, the businessman decided to relocate his family to Gujarat and needed a transfer certificate (TC) for his daughter. However, upon reaching the school, his troubles escalated.
At Sridevi’s office, the businessman was allegedly confronted by Ganesh and Sagar. They showed him private photos and videos of his moments with Sridevi and demanded ₹20 lakh, threatening to send the content to his wife if he refused. The businessman attempted to negotiate, agreeing to ₹15 lakh and making an initial payment of ₹1.9 lakh. However, the demands continued. On March 17, Sridevi called again, asking for ₹5 lakh for a supposed former police officer, ₹1 lakh each for Sagar and Ganesh, and ₹8 lakh for herself.
Finally, the businessman approached the police. Investigations revealed that the so-called police officer had no connection to the case. Consequently, Sridevi, Sagar, and Ganesh were arrested.
