Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Aug 22: The Surathkal police have arrested four persons from Surathkal and Bajpe limits in connection with two separate cases of cheating, in which more than Rs 15 crore was allegedly collected from thousands of customers under the guise of ‘lucky schemes’.
The arrested have been identified as Ahmed Khureshi (34), resident of Katipalla 1st Block; Nazir alias Nasir (39), resident of Katipalla 2nd Block; Mohammed Ashraf (43), resident of Bajpe; and Mohammed Hanif (50), resident of Krishnapura 7th Block. According to police, Khureshi and Nazir had operated a scheme named New Shine Enterprises Lucky Scheme, while Ashraf and Hanif were involved in New India Royal Scheme Green Light Lucky Scheme.
Under the New Shine Enterprises scheme, customers were lured with promises of attractive bumper prizes such as cars, bikes, plots, and gold. Members were made to pay Rs 1,000 per month for nine months and Rs 1,500 for the final two months. It is alleged that about 3,000 people from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts were cheated of over Rs 4.2 crore, with neither prizes nor deposits returned. A complaint in this regard was filed by Shivaprasad of Surinje at Surathkal police station.
In the second case, under the New India Royal Scheme Green Light Lucky Scheme, around 13,000 members from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi were allegedly cheated. Customers were asked to deposit Rs 1,000 per month for one year, again with the promise of bumper prizes including cars, bikes, flats, sites, gold ornaments, and cash. After completion of payments, neither prizes nor deposits were given. A complaint was filed by Bhujanga A Poojary at Surathkal police station.
Police said searches led to the seizure of computers, draw coins, registers, DVRs, and other materials used in the operations from offices at Ayesha Complex, BMR Complex, and Shine Mart. Bank accounts, jewellery purchases, vehicles, real estate documents, and properties in the names of the accused, including houses in Bajpe and Boluru and five plots in Tarikambla, were also seized.
Police added that accused Ahmed Khureshi already faces two attempted murder cases registered at Surathkal police station and one case at Mangaluru South police station for obstructing a government servant. Nazir alias Nasir also faces an attempted murder case at Surathkal police station.
Khureshi and Nazir were produced in court and remanded to police custody till August 25 for further interrogation, while Ashraf and Hanif were produced before court and sent to judicial custody.
The arrests were carried out under the leadership of Surathkal police inspector Pramod Kumar P, with PSI Raghunayak, Raghavendra Naik, Janardhan Naik, Shashidhar Shetty, ASI Tharanath, Rajesh Alva, and police staff including Rajendra Prasad, Dhananjaya Moorthy, Ajith Mathew, Thirupathi, Karthik, Vinod Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Omprakash Bingi, and Manjunath Ayatti.