GADAG : Gadag police have resolved a four-year-old case, apprehending an interstate fraudster hailing from Kashipur, Uttarakhand. Hazarat Khan took Rs 22 lakh from Dharwad-based woman by fabricating a narrative about a treasure in Lakkundi in 2022. He claimed to possess an extraordinary ability to detect treasures hidden under the earth.
Basheera filed a complaint in 2022. The investigation, however, was stalled due to a lack of substantial evidence. On February 13, 2026, Basheera reinitiated her complaint with the Gadag police. Following a thorough investigation, authorities apprehended Hazarat. The matter gained prominence following reports regarding treasure in Lakkundi.
Hazarat would occasionally visit Dharwad, where he became acquainted with Sannabasappa from Lakkundi. Hazarat boasted to Sannabasappa about his purported gift for identifying treasures, and Sannabasappa invited him to inspect his farmland in Lakkundi. Hazarat purchased a large copper pot and 80 chocolates covered in golden foil. He put the chocolates in the pot and secretly buried it on the land.
Later, Hazarat contacted Sannabasappa, and they proceeded to the farmland. Hazarat feigned a treasure hunt. Upon excavating the site, they uncovered the large copper pot. Sannabasappa expressed his financial inability to invest, but Basheera transferred Rs 22 lakh to Hazarat. It has since come to light that Hazarat has perpetrated similar frauds against many such people, and the police are currently expanding their investigation.