A web of deception unraveled when a businessman, desperate for financial aid, fell for the words of fraudsters, who lured him with promises of accessing money stuck in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Using forged documents, the scammers, who were known to the victim, allegedly cheated him out of Rs 37.5 lakh by claiming they could help him retrieve a staggering Rs 15 lakh crore.
The case came to light when the owner of a company in Seshadripuram lodged a complaint with the Central Crime Branch (CCB) (East) on November 22.
The businessman, struggling with financial losses, was approached by two known individuals who promised to him they could arrange financial assistance. They introduced him to a group claiming they had access to Rs 15 lakh crore from a foreign company, supposedly stuck in the RBI due to pending taxes.
The two persons known to him introduced him to a group of women entrepreneurs based in Nagarabhavi. One of the accused, who had previously sold antique copper bowls to the complainant, allegedly claimed to have received Rs 15 lakh crore from a foreign company.
Trusting these assertions, the victim agreed to cooperate and even travelled to Delhi to assist in clearing the so-called RBI file. Over time, he was deceived into transferring Rs 37.5 lakh through cash and bank transactions. Realising he had been duped, he reported the matter to the authorities, prompting a CCB investigation.
The crackdown began on December 6, when the first suspect was apprehended in Basaveshwara Nagar.
During interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in the scam. On December 11, a second accused was arrested in Hubballi, leading investigators to recover Rs 1 lakh in cash. He further disclosed that five more individuals were part of the racket.
On February 7, three more suspects were tracked down, with officials seizing two counterfeit RBI files. The final arrest was made on February 8, of the individual responsible for fabricating the fake RBI file. Two cars, five mobile phones, two forged RBI files, and Rs 1 lakh in cash were seized. The arrested are identified as Hidayatullah, Prateek, Umesh, Sukirti, and Zakir, while, Yuvanika and Bindu, remain absconding.
