Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In two startling incidents, a bullion trader and a tea seller were duped of their gold rings by conmen in Palasia and Dwarkapuri areas over the past few days.
While one gang posed as policemen to win the trader's trust, the other convinced a tea merchant that his problems could be solved through tantra-mantra.
The Fake Cops Trick
Prakashchand Jain, a bullion trader from Mahavir Nagar, was riding his scooter to Tilak Nagar when two men on a bike stopped him near Palasia. Claiming to be policemen, they warned him of police checking ahead and advised him to remove his gold rings to avoid any untoward incident.
To convince him, the conmen made a young man nearby remove his gold chain and place it in a hanky as well — a clear setup. Trusting them, Jain followed suit.
One of the men took Jain’s hanky and “secured” the rings in it before handing it back to him, instructing him to keep it safe until he reached home. When Jain checked later, all three gold rings were missing.
Palasia TI Jagdish Malviya said CCTV footage showed suspects but no arrests had been made yet. “This gang has duped at least two elderly persons in Tilak Nagar and Aerodrome areas recently. We believe the same people are behind these incidents,” he said.
The Tantric Trap
In Dwarkapuri, tea merchant Anurag Jain fell victim to a different ploy. A man visited his shop on July 17, claiming to have powers to solve personal and business issues using ‘tantra-mantra’. He later took a currency note of Rs 100 and wrapped two gold rings of Jain in it. He gave the note to him and told him to keep it a safe place. Immediatley aftewards, the man left and Jain found his rings missing.
TI Sushil Patel confirmed that CCTV footage from the area is being analysed to trace the accused. Both victims have filed police complaints. Investigation is ongoing.
