BENGALURU: The Tilaknagar police have arrested a gang of six men who had allegedly cheated senior citizens by giving fake ayurvedic medicine.
The accused have been identified as Sarjith alias Mahesh (40), Manjunath Shirke (40), Shivalinga alias Gautam (42), Ramakanth alias Amit (37), Kishan Raju (23), all the five residents of Yashwantpur, and Kallolappa Gurappa Bagalakote (63), a native of Gokak in Belagavi.
Police said that the 69-year-old Ravi BR Anukar had filed a complaint on February 10 stating that he was suffering from back and knee pain and had gone to Jayanagar Orthopedic Centre in Jayanagar 9th Block, on September 27 last year. As he was speaking over the phone to a relative and was telling that the pain had increased, a person approached him and introduced himself as Ramesh. The stranger claimed that his brother Seetharam was working in Dhanvantari Ayurvedic Centre in Rajajinagar and he will give ayurvedic medicine and the pain will completely heal.
"The next day, Ramesh took the complainant to the said Ayurvedic centre and showed some people as doctors and staff. He explained to him that the treatment will cost Rs. 2,59,860 but the complainant told him he can not afford so much money. As Ramesh told him that the money will be refunded if the pain is not healed, the complainant agreed and paid the amount, taking the medicines given by the accused. As the medicine did not heal the pain, Anukar went to the Ayurvedic Centre to ask for a refund but it was closed. He also found other senior citizens there, who had also fallen prey to the same trick," the police said.
Based on the complaint, the police launched a probe and arrested the six persons, and have recovered Rs. 5 lakh cash from them. "So far, three others who were cheated by them have been traced who had lost more than Rs. 4 lakh in total and we are investigating further to trace other accused," the police added.