Pastor from Darjeeling arrested for defrauding Naga woman of Rs 3.5 crore

DIMAPUR: A pastor from Darjeeling has been arrested by the Dimapur Police for defrauding a Naga woman of Rs 3.5 crore by promising her to provide a "mystery box" that brings fortune and good luck.

The pastor of New Life Church Ministry, Khantibhita, Darjeeling, Rev Timothy Joshi alias Joshua, was brought to Dimapur after his arrest and produced in court, Dimapur DCP (Crime) said in a release on Saturday. The arrest was made following a complaint of fraud filed by the Naga woman. In her complaint, the woman said she was introduced to him by a friend and the pastor made a business proposal to her for purchase of a "mystery box" found by a Kolkata farmer. The pastor convinced the victim that he got a divine revelation that the "mystery box" would bring big fortune and luck. He also told her that the box was on offer for Rs 4 crore whereas its actual worth was estimated at Rs 22 crore.

Scamsters pestered Naga woman to pay 1cr more
She was then introduced to one Manish Awasti, who identified himself as the managing director of "RM Trading Company". Awasti promised to buy the "mystery box" for Rs 22 crore on the condition that she first invest in the box by paying Rs 4 crore.

Following this, the victim deposited Rs 3.5 crore to various accounts of the scammers in a series of bank transfers from 2019 to 2020. The victim was then invited to Kolkata and was put up in a 5-star hotel. The scammers, posing as high-profile businessmen, came in SUVs to the hotel with bodyguards to meet her. Then the scammers and the victim went to an area near the Bangladesh border in two separate cars to collect the "mystery box" and returned to the hotel. The victim first returned and was waiting for the pastor who was supposed to bring the box in the other car.

After reaching the hotel, the pastor told the victim that the police got information and started chasing his car. He also told her that he somehow managed to escape and reached the hotel but the car with the box and its Bangladeshi occupants ran away for fear of the police, the complaint said. The pastor even pretended to have fainted in front of the victim while narrating the incident.

The scammers further pestered her to pay Rs 1 crore more to recover the "mystery box".

However, she expressed her inability to pay the money and returned home.



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