Aqua farmer duped by fraudsters, three arrested

Accused promised to sell gold at lesser price by showing imitation gold chain and looted ₹17 lakhf from the Sriharipuram farmer, says Eluru SP

The Mudinepalli police on Saturday arrested three persons of a seven-member gang who duped an aquaculture farmer, Pandraju Ravindra Kumar, promising to sell gold at a lesser price.

The gang stole ₹17 lakh from Ravindra Kumar by showing an imitation gold chain and escaped, said Superintendent of Police (SP) K. Pratap Shiva Kishore. Disclosing the details of the case at a press conference, the SP said one of the accused, Dabba Eshwar, a native of Venkatachalam in Nellore district, befriended Ravindra Kumar, who was doing aquaculture at Sriharipuram village in Mudinepalli mandal of Eluru district.

He showed an imitation gold chain to Ravindra Kumar, to which original gold beads were attached. The accused gave the gold beads to the farmer and asked him to test them, which later proved that it was indeed real gold. The gang took ₹5 lakh advance from Ravindra Kumar on October 23 and asked him to pay another ₹15 lakh more. When the complainant brought the amount, the accused asked the farmer to come to Vijayawada, then to Guntur and finally to Venkatachalam in Nellore district.

The gang attacked the farmer in Nellore district and escaped with the cash. Following a complaint, the SP constituted special teams headed by Eluru Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) D. Sravan Kumar, who nabbed the accused, the SP explained.

They recovered ₹16 lakh cash, mobile phones and an imitation gold chain, the DSP said. “A hunt is on to nab the remaining accused of the gang. We are inquiring whether the gang committed any offences earlier,” Mr. Pratap Shiva Kishore said.

Published - November 16, 2024 08:18 pm IST