Mon May 19 18:51:37 UTC 2025: **Here’s a summary of the provided text:**

The text is a news item published in *The Hindu* on May 20, 2025, from Chennai. It reports that police in SRMC (Sri Ramachandra Medical College) have registered a case against a man, Venkatacharya, posing as an advocate, who allegedly defrauded a family in Porur, Chennai, of over ₹35 lakh (Indian Rupees). The man falsely claimed the tenant had filed civil, criminal, and POCSO cases against the family after they confronted him regarding rent arrears, and extorted money under the guise of settling these non-existent cases. One accomplice, Gnanasekaran, has been arrested, and a search is on for Venkatacharya and other accomplices.

**Here’s the text rewritten as a news article:**

**Fake Advocate Swindles Porur Family Out of ₹35 Lakh in Elaborate Scam**

**CHENNAI, May 20, 2025** – The SRMC police have launched a manhunt for a man identified as Venkatacharya, who allegedly posed as an advocate and swindled a family in Porur, Chennai, out of ₹35 lakh. The elaborate scheme involved fabricated legal threats and false claims of needing funds to “settle” non-existent court cases.

According to police reports, Sivakumar of Mangalam Nagar, Porur, sought Venkatacharya’s purported legal expertise to evict a defaulting tenant, Venkatesan. Following Venkatacharya’s advice, Sivakumar and his family confronted the tenant, recording the interaction.

Venkatacharya then allegedly informed Sivakumar that the tenant had filed civil and criminal cases against him. He initially demanded ₹4 lakh to “settle” the cases. He then escalated the scam by claiming the tenant had also filed a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case, demanding an additional ₹10 lakh. Over time, the family was allegedly extorted out of ₹35 lakh.

Growing suspicious, the family eventually reported the matter to Avadi City Police Commissioner K. Shankar, who launched an investigation. Police discovered that no legal cases had been filed against the family, and that the tenant appeared to have colluded with Venkatacharya to defraud the family.

Police have arrested Gnanasekaran, an alleged accomplice, and a search is underway to locate Venkatacharya and any other individuals involved in the scam. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding Venkatacharya’s whereabouts to contact the SRMC police immediately. The investigation is ongoing.

Read More