AHMEDABAD: In a meticulously planned fraud exposing how organised criminals exploit the trust associated with traditional Angadiya courier services, Surat's Mahidharpura Police have uncovered a Rs 40 lakh cheating racket in which businessmen were allegedly tricked into believing their cash had safely reached Bengaluru, only to discover that the delivered bundles contained little more than stacks of paper.
The complainant, Mahendra Shah, runs a marble business near Laskana Bus Station in Surat, while his son-in-law, Rahul Jain, lives in Bengaluru.
To transport the money safely, the family decided to use the services of an Angadiya firm, believing it to be the safest option for transferring large sums of cash. Their search for a reliable courier led Mahendra to his friend Kamlesh, the owner of a jewellery shop.
During their discussion, Kamlesh said a man identifying himself as Kshetrapal, who claimed to represent Bhavesh Angadiya Firm, frequently contacted him regarding courier services. Trusting the recommendation, Mahendra got in touch with Kshetrapal.
Everything unfolded according to the gang's plan. On the afternoon of May 19, Rahul Jain was called to an area near Metro Plaza on Chickpet Road in Bengaluru. There, unidentified persons handed him eight bundles, each purportedly containing Rs 5 lakh, totalling Rs 40 lakh.
Pressured by the situation and convinced by the accused, Rahul left without checking the contents. He immediately telephoned his family in Surat and confirmed that he had received the money. That single phone call triggered the second phase of the fraud.
Within barely half an hour, Mahendra Shah, accompanied by his wife and two of Kamlesh's employees, reached Vidhi Angadiya Firm on Galemandi Road in Mahidharpura.
Believing the Bengaluru delivery had been completed successfully, they handed over Rs 40 lakh in cash to Kshetrapal, who introduced himself as an employee of Bhavesh Angadiya.
By the time the family realised what had happened, the fraudsters had disappeared. The deception came to light only after Rahul reached home in Bengaluru and opened the bundles.
To his shock, only the top and bottom notes in each bundle were genuine. Hidden between them were neatly packed stacks of plain paper, giving the appearance of bundles filled with cash.
The breakthrough came when police arrested three accused from Bikaner, Rajasthan: Kshetrapal Sharma, Shivshankar Hariram Godara and Savardas. Their sustained interrogation exposed the wider conspiracy.
The trio allegedly revealed the names of two more associates: Harikrishna Sharma, a resident of Kaluvas village in Bikaner, and Manekchand Sharma, a resident of Hemarta village in Bikaner.
Police subsequently arrested both men and recovered Rs 35 lakh in cash while freezing another Rs 5 lakh in bank accounts, recovering the entire amount allegedly cheated.
Police said Manoj allegedly targeted businessmen involved in high-value cash transactions by falsely introducing himself or his associates as employees of reputed Angadiya firms.
Once the victims had gained confidence, the gang allegedly executed identical delivery-and-payment scams before disappearing with the cash. Separate police teams have been formed to trace and arrest the absconding mastermind.
Trusting those assurances, the complainant handed over Rs 40 lakh in Surat after receiving confirmation that the money had supposedly reached his relatives in Bengaluru.
Explaining the alleged modus operandi, the DCP said family members in Bengaluru were handed eight bundles appearing to contain Rs 40 lakh, but after reaching home they found that only the first and last notes in each bundle were genuine, while the remaining contents consisted of paper.
He further said that, following the complaint registered at Mahidharpura Police Station, investigators tracked down the accused in Rajasthan, arrested five members of the gang, recovered Rs 35 lakh in cash, froze Rs 5 lakh in bank accounts and uncovered the larger conspiracy behind the alleged interstate fraud.
