COIMBATORE: Rural police on Thursday arrested a six-member gang that lured a duo from Kerala into buying a mystical pot that would make them wealthy and powerful, reminiscent of scenes from the Tamil flick Saduranga Vettai.
The incident, known as rice-pulling, came to light when A Abdul Kalam (44) and I Mahadeep (58) of Kozhikode sensed something wrong in the deal and lodged a police complaint. According to police, Shaji of Kerala lured the duo with claims that the iridium metal pot worth crores of rupees was in great demand. The two, whose background was not revealed, contacted the gang and offered to buy it. The gang invited the two to a house at KG Garden near Othakkalmandapam in Chettipalayam on Wednesday and demonstrated the power of metal by pulling rice, a trick where rice is mixed with iron particles.
Superintendent of Police S Selvanagarathinam, said, "On October 13, the gang met the duo in a hotel near Neelambur and received Rs 25 lakh to buy protective wear to avoid radiation from the metal. They also asked the duo to come back on Wednesday to buy the pot. In fact, the gang handed over a bronze pot, worth Rs 1,500, that was blackened in fire."
Sensing that something was fishy, the two backed off and asked the gang to return the money, but the gang handed them counterfeit currency. Realising that they have been cheated, the two questioned them and were threatened. They then approached the police for help. Based on their complaint, police arrested M Raj alias Bojaraj of Udumalpet, who posed as a middleman, S Murugesan of Kinathukkadavu, who posed as a seller, D Dineshkumar of Vellore and R Suryakumar of Aranthangi, who posed as radiation inspectors, bouncers B Senthilkumar and M Venkatesh Prabhu of RS Puram. Hunt is on to arrest Shaji, sources said. Several materials including 'magical metal', and counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 99.20 lakh were seized from the gang.