Kochi: A habeas corpus petition filed by a man from Tamil Nadu seeking the release of his allegedly detained wife has led Kerala Police to uncover a major financial scam. The missing woman, a 43-year-old native of Gwalior, was traced and taken into custody by police from Maradu, Ernakulam. Authorities now suspect she orchestrated a high-value fraud in collaboration with her former husband, identified as Lenin.

The petitioner, a retired government official from Chennai, had earlier approached the Kerala High Court claiming that his wife was being unlawfully detained by a man named Joseph Steven, reportedly from Mannuthy. The couple had met via a matrimonial website and were married in June 2022. They were living in Chennai, while the woman frequently travelled to Kerala, allegedly to visit friends.

According to the complaint, the woman arrived in Kerala on January 1 and subsequently went missing. On 4 June, the petitioner received a phone call from an unknown person claiming that his wife had passed away. The caller also claimed that the deceased had entrusted him with the authority to sell assets worth ₹2.5 crore. Alarmed and suspicious, the petitioner approached the police and later the High Court, prompting a full-scale investigation.

During the probe, it emerged that "Joseph Steven" was, in fact, an alias used by Lenin, the woman’s ex-husband. It is alleged that the woman had already siphoned off more than ₹2.5 crore in cash and valuables from the petitioner.

She was presented before the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Sunday. The High Court is expected to resume hearing the habeas corpus plea on Monday. Police have indicated that a more detailed investigation into the fraud is underway, and Lenin remains under surveillance.