A gang that cheated a doctor from Kalaburagi twice to the tune of ₹1.16 crore has been busted and five members of the gang were arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) recently.
The arrested have been identified as Nagaraj Siddanna Boruti, 36, Mallikarjuna Vali, 38, Madhushekhar, 28, Hameed, 31, and Basavaraj, 35.
Of them, Nagaraj, the kingpin of the scam, was known to the victim, a doctor from Kalaburagi. According to the police, Nagaraj promised to secure admission of the doctor’s son in M.S. Ramaiah Medical College in Bengaluru and the doctor paid him ₹1.75 lakh for the admission fee.
Later, the doctor gave Nagaraj ₹60 lakh towards payment of, what he claimed to be, capitation fee and a bribe. However, when the doctor’s son landed in the college, he realised he had not secured admission in the college and returned home.
The doctor followed up with Nagaraj and demanded he return the money, and landed in the city to collect the money. Nagaraj put him at a lodge in the Majestic area and said he would return with the money, said the police.
However, a woman knocked on the door and as the doctor opened it, she entered. Then some policemen barged into the room, took their photographs, robbed him of valuables, and took the woman away, asking the doctor to contact them, according to the police.
Hours later, Nagaraj turned up at the lodge and threatened the doctor that there would be a police case against him for prostitution if he did not pay up ₹50 lakh, said the police.
The police added that when the doctor said that he did not have that much money in cash, Nagaraj sent his men to the doctor’s native village, who collected property documents from the family members.
The gang later pledged the property papers at a cooperative bank and secured a loan of ₹50 lakh.
The police probe has now revealed that Nagaraj had got his associates to pose as policemen to carry out the raid on the lodge. The police have now recovered 25 grams of gold ornaments, ₹26 lakh in cash, and a set of walkie-talkies used to pose as policemen.
