Gang selling fake Ayurvedic medicines on orthopaedics arrested

Tilak Nagar police have arrested a six-member gang involved in selling fake Ayurvedic medicines to senior citizens and seized Rs 5 lakh from them.

The arrested Sanjith alias Fernandis alias Mahesh, 30, Manjunath Shirke, 40, Shivalinga alias Gautham, 42, Ramakanth alias Amith, 37, Kishan, 23, all five from Yeshwantpur, and Kallolappa Gurappa Bagalakote, 63, from Belagavi, met each other in the area where they stayed. Kallolappa was also staying in Yeshwanthpur for some time.

They formed a group and worked out a plan to cheat senior citizens. One of the victims, Ravi B R Anukar, suffering from an orthopaedics-related problem, met a man outside an orthopaedic centre he had visited last year. The person introduced himself as Ramesh and told Anukar that his older brother Seetaram was working at Dhanvantari Ayurvedic Centre in Rajajinagar and has medicines to cure his orthopaedic problems.

Ramesh took Anukar to the Ayurvedic centre, where, having got introduced to Anukar as doctors and staff, the accused people asked him Rs 2.5 lakh for the medicine. When Anukar refused, they assured him that the medicine would cure all his problems, following which the senior paid them Rs 2.5 lakh by cheque and Rs 9,000 in cash.

Despite taking the medicines for months, Anukar did not find any improvement in his condition. When he went to the Jayanagar centre, he learnt that the gang has been cheating many people. He then filed a complaint with the police.

A team headed by police inspector G S Anil Kumar arrested the gang. The gang targeted seniors visiting orthopedic centres or while they go for a walk in the park and cheat them to the tunes of lakhs by supplying fake medicines.

Kallolappa is in the custody of Belagavi police who wanted him in a case, while other accused are sent to jail.