The Hassan police, on Thursday, arrested four people who were running private firms, on the charge of duping people in the guise of offering gifts to those whose phone numbers were regarded ‘lucky’.
Many in Hassan and other places have lost thousands of rupees. The police are yet to estimate the total amount of money looted by the accused.
The arrested are Kiran (21), of Hassan, Mallikarjun (35), of Tumkur, Keshava A.V. (18). of Mandya, and Mohammed Rashid (22), of Hassan. Four other accused are still absconding. Ningaraju, manager of Vijayalakshmi Traders in Hassan, Suhil Khan, Nakma Jan, who run S.K. Worlds Marketing, and Jagadish of Sri Lakshmi Traders, said to be kingpins, are absconding. The police have called up 53 women working in the trade firms run by the accused for enquiry.
R.K. Shahapurwad, SP, Hassan, told presspersons that based on three complaints registered, the police launched the investigation. “The accused would call up and inform people that their phone numbers had won gifts worth ₹10,000. Assuring the victims that they would get a smartphone worth the same amount, they would ask them pay ₹1,800 while accepting the gift pack. Many paid the amount and received only items like cups, plastic material, images of gods and goddess, cheap wristwatches in return,” he said. The accused had employed women to call up the public.
The women would be treated as witnesses in the case. “As per the initial investigation, they told us that they had no information about cheating, as they were only handling the phone calls. However, they would also be named in case they were found to have played a role,” he added.
The SP has congratulated Dy.SP K.B.Jayaram, CPI Y. Satyanarayan, PSIs Pramod Kumar and S. Arokyappa, and the staff for the arrests.
