JOIN US With the arrest of five people, including a woman, Delhi Police on Sunday claimed to have busted an inter-state racket wherein people were cheated on the pretext of providing cobra pearl.
Vidyut Kumar Banerjee, 42, Kiran Lohia, 40, Abu Bakka Mandal, 53, Sanjit Pal, 36, and Satender Kumar Singh, 44, had been running the racket for the past three years.
“They had earned several crore rupees by charging Rs 2 to 3 crore per person. They were arrested on Saturday from near New Delhi railway station,” said Devesh Chandra Srivastva, additional commissioner of police (central).
The accused persons have disclosed that they used to display a fake pearl to customers. They used to put the pearl in a golden box already fitted with a small electric bulb. Apart from the Capital, they have cheated several rich and influential persons in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.
The action was taken after Shahid, a resident of Sadar Bazar, approached a police party near the station on Saturday. He reported that he met a man named Bannerjee at Filmistan bus stand about 20 days ago who said he had a ‘cobra pearl’, which brings good luck and substantial jump in income.
“Bannerjee further claimed that his company used to deal in precious items. He then invited Shahid to Aman Hotel in Karol Bagh on August 25 to show him the pearl,” Srivastva added.
Shahid was in trouble due to loss in business, so he decided to visit Aman Hotel. Bannerjee and Kiran displayed a box containing a ‘cobra pearl’ claiming that as soon as the box is opened, reflection of the light coming out from the pearl would improve his economic condition.
“They quoted a price of Rs 2 crore,” Srivastva said.
On August 30, Shahid paid Rs 1 lakh. On Saturday he met the accused at 1 pm on Tagore Road near Civic Centre. “The accused persons asked Shahid about the remaining money. But when Shahid requested them to display the cobra pearl once again, they became furious,” Srivastva said.
The behaviour of the accused made Shahid suspicious and on seeing a police party, he reported the matter.