Hyderabad woman arrested for kidnapping TV anchor in matrimonial fraud case

A businesswoman in Hyderabad was arrested for allegedly stalking and kidnapping a TV music channel anchor with the intention of marrying him, the police reported on Friday. The woman, identified as Bhogireddy Trisha, 31 years old and a managing director of five startup companies, had been duped for Rs 40 lakh by an unknown individual who used the anchor's photo on a matrimonial site.

Trisha and five accomplices were arrested on February 22 by the Telangana Police.

How the Fraud Unfolded


Trisha came into contact with an unknown person named Chaitanya Reddy through the Bharat Matrimony website two years ago. They started chatting on WhatsApp and Instagram, and Reddy eventually asked her for investment in his business, promising good returns. Trisha allegedly paid Rs 40 lakh to Reddy via UPI, but he started avoiding her afterward.

Realizing she was cheated, Trisha contacted the phone number on Reddy's profile, which turned out to be the TV anchor, Pranav Sistla. Pranav informed her that someone named Chaitanya Reddy used his photo and created fake accounts on Bharat Matrimony. Despite Pranav blocking her number, Trisha, described by the police as an "intimacy-seeking stalker," planned to kidnap Pranav to "sort out things."

The Kidnapping

Trisha enlisted an office employee, offering him Rs 50,000, to assist in the crime. He installed an Apple AirTag on Pranav's car to monitor his movements. On February 11, a group organized by Trisha kidnapped Pranav and took him to her office, where they assaulted him.

Pranav managed to escape after agreeing to respond to Trisha's calls. He later lodged a complaint, leading to Trisha's arrest and the arrest of her accomplices on charges of kidnapping, wrongful restraint, and confinement.