Four imposters posing as priests arrested for cheating at Delhi airport

New Delhi: Delhi Police has arrested four men posing as priests of Haridwar Akhara for allegedly cheating a man of his gold ring on the pretext of bringing him good fortune, an official said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Rinku Nath (30) and Sahil Nath (22), both residents of Haridwar, and Rocky Nath (35) and Vickey Nath (31), both from Sonipat, Haryana, he said.

The complainant, Gagan Jain, a chartered accountant from Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), was attending a conference in Aerocity when he was allegedly approached by the four accused near JW Marriott Hotel on March 23, he said.

“Dressed as sadhus with ash smeared on their bodies and bells tied to their feet, they claimed to be well-versed in the Vedas and offered to apply a tilak on his forehead. When Jain refused, they insisted, invoking his faith in 'Ganga Maiya' and Mahadev,” Additional Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Usha Ragnani said.

The accused allegedly convinced him that his gold ring was "defective" and needed to be given away to rid him of misfortune, she said. Fearing their words, the victim handed over his ring, after which the accused asked him to leave the spot without looking back, warning that he would suffer a loss otherwise, the officer said.

Realising he had been duped, Jain reported the incident to police, and an FIR was registered, she said, adding that the four accused were arrested from Mahipalpur.

During interrogation, the accused admitted to having devised the plan after observing devotees in Haridwar willingly offering money and valuables to saints for blessings. They dressed as sadhus and targeted unsuspecting individuals, she said.

The victim’s gold ring was recovered from their possession, and further investigation is underway to determine if they were involved in other similar cases, she added.