Hidden treasure scam: Four arrested for cheating 11 people of nearly ₹1 crore in Hyderabad
The promise of a buried treasure turned out to be coal, fake gold coins and a well-rehearsed trick for 11 victims, who were allegedly cheated
The promise of a buried treasure turned out to be coal, fake gold coins and a well-rehearsed trick for 11 victims, who were allegedly cheated of nearly ₹1 crore by a four-member gang in Hyderabad. The Commissioner’s Task Force, Shamshabad Zone, in coordination with Rajendra Nagar police, busted the racket and arrested four persons who allegedly lured gullible people with claims that they could identify and retrieve ‘Gupta Nidhulu’, or hidden treasure, buried beneath houses. The arrested persons were identified as Mohd Munawar alias Munna, 36, a denting and painting worker from Gudimalkapur; Syed Ali Ashraf, 40, an electrician from Jawahar Nagar; Mohd Haji, 25, an auto-rickshaw driver from Jawahar Nagar; and Mohd Salman, 29, a bike mechanic from Yadagiripally.
According to the police, Munawar allegedly came up with the scheme after finding his income from denting and painting work insufficient to meet his expenses. He roped in his friends and the group began approaching people with claims that they possessed special knowledge to locate underground treasure. The accused allegedly convinced their targets that valuable treasure was buried beneath their residential premises. After obtaining their trust, they would dig the ground and plant a sack containing coal and duplicate gold-coated coins, along with other material used during the supposed treasure-hunting ritual.
They would then allegedly tell the victims that the coal needed time to transform into gold and leave the place, effectively disappearing with the money collected from them. Police said 11 people had so far been identified as victims in different areas, with the total amount allegedly collected by the gang estimated at around ₹1 crore. Task Force personnel seized two cars, an auto-rickshaw, two motorcycles, four mobile phones, 25 duplicate gold coins, 6 kg of coal, 4 kg of soil and puja material from the accused. A case was registered at Rajendra Nagar police station under Sections 318(4), 351(2) and 61(2) read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said Munawar had previously been booked in a cheating case at Begum Bazar police station. Police have cautioned people against believing individuals who claim to possess knowledge of hidden or underground treasure and urged the public to report about such gangs immediately to the police.
The BriefWire