Hyderabad: A private company employee was cheated by a 21-member fraud gang, including two Nigerians and other agents in Hyderabad of Rs 45 lakh. The gang lured the victim, Gopal Reddy, saying that he is the legal heir of the Rs 20 crore invested by one UK-based Dr Jagan, who is the cousin of one of the gangsters, in a trading firm. Police arrested five persons. 16 others are absconding.
In 2009, the victim met one Bachu Raju and through him he came into contact with Belson Acume, a Nigerian. Raju said that his cousin Dr Jagan Reddy Chilumula, had invested Rs 5 crore in Fuel Debentures and that it had grown to Rs 20 crore. They told him that Dr Jagan had made the victim and his wife as nominees.
In 2011, Raju told the victim that one Donald had taken charge in place of Benson and asked him to pay Rs 5 lakh to Donald as flight charges. “Later, as per Donald's suggestion, he transferred around Rs 35 lakh and also gave Rs 15 lakh to Raju to claim the funds,” said a police official.
from Cyberabad.
Later, the victim became suspicious and when he questioned Raju he avoided him. During investigation, police found that Benson and Donald cheated the victim by giving wrong account numbers and the amount deposited was transferred to them by their agents in Hyderabad via Hawala. One of the account was at SBI branch at Vengalrao Nagar operated under the name Pemma Dinesh.
On Tuesday, when Mohammad Raja, Budithi Prasad, Tavitika Balaji, Chiluka Mojes and Pemma Dinesh came to the bank to withdraw money, police nabbed them. They were produced before court. A hunt is on to trace the other gangsters.
