Fraudsters dupe auto driver of Rs6.5L

LUDHIANA: A gang of fraudsters – who had duped an auto driver of more than six lakh rupees on January 4 by promising to double his money through a ‘magical fluid’ – were arrested in Lohara on the outskirts of the city. The victim sold off his house to arrange the cash, after which the fraudsters gave him a bag containing money, but asked him not to open it for a week, as the fluid would not have an effect on the cash if it came into contact with light and air.After the victim opened the bag, he found fake currency notes in it, after which he informed the police.
The police swung into action and arrested the accused on Wednesday, recovering Rs50,000 in cash and fake currency of Rs15,000. It identified the accused as Nabi Hasan alias Mangal of Motihari (Bihar); the kingpin, Ajit Kumar of Khudari village in Gonda (UP), Mehmood Alam alias Sunny of Siddharth Nagar (UP); and Mehfooz alias Kasim of Balrampur (UP). According to some police sources, the accused had fled to their hometowns after committing the fraud.
Daba police registered a case against the accused on the complaint of auto driver Mohan Singh from Gagan Nagar in Daba, who was himself convicted in a murder case and was out on bail. In his complaint, Mohan Singh told the police that the accused had met him through a man lodged in Ludhiana Central Jail. He added that the accused told him that there was a fluid that could double the money. The complainant said that he sold off his house for Rs6.50 lakh, and handed over the same to the accused for doubling his money. He added that the fraudsters removed cash from the bag and filled it with fake currency notes.
Jasdev Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), said that Mohan Singh told the police that the accused had instructed him not to open the bag for at least seven days, as the liquid applied on the currency notes will take seven days to double the notes. He added that the fraudsters had also told him that the liquid would not work if it comes in contact with light and air.
Rupinder Kaur Sran, assistant commissioner of police (ACP South) said that instead of ‘Reserve Bank of India’, ‘Indian Manoranjan Bank’ was printed on the fake currency notes. Police officials said that the fraudsters had procured the fake currency notes from Mumbai, claiming that they had played fraud with several people in Mumbai on the pretext of doubling their money.