B’luru: Gang of four posing as press, activists cheats gullible site buyers; arrested

Bengaluru: Four persons were arrested for cheating people by promising cheap land and running a money-doubling racket, police said.

The accused M Nataraju (50), Rakesh (29), Balaji  (41), and G Venkatesh (50), posed as presspersons and members of a human rights group to cheat people. They had procured fake ID cards to bolster their credentials.

The gang lured J Sangeetha, a businesswoman from Andhra Pradesh to the city, by offering to sell a real estate property valued at Rs 10 lakhs. The woman, along with her driver, traveled to Bengaluru on October 25, 2021, to complete the transaction.

Police said the accused took the driver to an isolated spot and robbed him at knifepoint. They took away cash he had brought along as payment for the site. Later, the woman reported the incident to the police.

Acting on the complaint, Amruthahalli police nabbed the accused and recovered the knife used in the crime, gold worth Rs 5.8 lakhs, a car, and a scooter from them.

According to police, the gang was running a money-doubling scam. They had taken money from at least 10 people by promising to double the amount and returned fake currency instead. However, none of the victims have approached the police so far.

Further investigations are underway.