TV actress Varshini Venkat held for assaulting friend, extorting ₹5.5 lakh in Chennai

Police said Venkat and her associates allegedly demanded money from the stock trader after assaulting him at his lodge in August.

A 28-year-old television actress was arrested for assaulting her acquaintance, a stock trader, and extorting ₹5.5 lakh from him under the pretext of funding a short film, police said here on Wednesday.

The actress was arrested in Mylapore on Tuesday and later remanded to judicial custody, while police continue searching for her alleged assosiates. (Instagram/@varshinivenkatofficial)

Actress Varshini Venkat, along with her friends, invited Tharun to invest money in a short film they were producing, but he refused.

On August 22, when Tharun returned to his lodge in the early hours after going out, Venkat along with her friend Sanjay and two others, who were present, assaulted him and forced Tharun to hand over ₹50,000 in cash.

Later, upon receiving extortion calls from Sanjay, Tharun transferred ₹3 lakh to Venkat's bank account and ₹2 lakh to Sanjay's bank account.

After paying a total of ₹5.5 lakh, Sanjay continued to threaten him, demanding an additional ₹27 lakh.

Based on a complaint lodged by Tharun, Guindy police registered a case and initiated an investigation.

Upon verifying the complainant's bank records, it was confirmed that money had been transferred to Venkat's bank account.

The police arrested the accused, Varshini Venkat (28), residing in Mylapore, on Tuesday and seized an iPhone.

After inquiry, the actress was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. Search is on for the actress' friends involved in the crime.