History-sheeter 'Poombatta' Sini arrested; booked under KAAPA

Thrissur: Notorious history-sheeter Sini, alias Poombatta Sini, a native of Palluruthy in Ernakulam, has been arrested and charges under the Kerala Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act have been slapped against her.

The 48-year-old was held the other day from Thrissur, with cops invoking the stringent provisions of the KAAPA.

She is an accused in a number of cases, including murder attempts, issuing threats, and cheating.

Shocking accounts of financial crimes, amounting to crores, committed by her are now coming out.

Known also as Sreeja and Sini, she operated from a rented house at Thykkattussery in Ollur in Thrissur. Ollur Station House Officer Denny Jacob and team nabbed her from this house.

Sini has more than 50 cases registered against her in Aroor and Kuttiyathode Police Stations in Alappuzha district, Mulavukadu, Chengamanad, Thoppumpady, Town South, Central, Kannamali and Aluva East Police Stations in Ernakulam district and Puthukkad, Kodakara, Mala, East, Ollur, Chalakudy and Nedupuzha Police Stations in Thrissur district.

After considering the report submitted by Police Commissioner Ankit Ashokan, Alappuzha District Collector V R Krishna Teja ordered her preventive detention. Sini, who was lodged in Viyyur Women’s Jail, will be shifted to Kannur Central Jail later.

Sini’s exploits

Sini’s financial trickery first got exposed in 2008 when the Aroor police booked her. She extorted Rs 18 lakh from a businessman after laying a honey-trap. The man committed suicide when she demanded another Rs 10 lakh. However, Sini was nabbed during the investigation that followed.

She also duped a person of Rs 36 lakh at Kannamali in Ernakulam by making him believe that she was in possession of a golden idol and will sell him the same. She bought six sovereigns of gold from a jewellery shop posing as a woman constable and then decamped without paying the money, but was later nabbed. She was also arrested for duping a trader of Rs 22 lakh by making him believe that she was the wife of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Fort Kochi. In Thrissur district alone, she is an accused in 32 cases.

Sini is charged with swindling 11 sovereigns from a government official whom she met during a train journey, duping a businessman in Puthukkad of Rs 74 lakh, swindling Rs 37.5 lakh from four others from Puthukkad, and robbing Rs 27 lakh and 70 grams of gold from a jewellery owner in Thrissur.

She was earlier arrested for robbing a passenger of Rs 3 lakh by running over him with a bike in Kodakara and trying to kill a housewife in Ollur by hitting her with a rock. She is estimated to have swindled Rs 31 lakh by pawning fake gold in different banks. The gold and money she has so far swindled come to crores of rupees, sources said.