Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysuru District Police have arrested five persons on charges of cheating a labourer to the tune of Rs. 33 lakh in the guise of getting him a ‘rice puller’ and have recovered Rs. 25 lakh from them. 

With this the Cops have saved the labourer, who had sold his family’s gold jewellery, house and agriculture land to buy the ‘rice puller.’ Rice pullers are any antique metal object which has a magical potential of pulling rice grains. They are made of copper alloys or iridium element. This type of metals have a natural electric power or magnetic power making them highly valuable. 

Disclosing this at a press meet yesterday, Superintendent of Police (SP) C.B. Ryshyanth said that the arrested are 41-year-old Natesh, a contractor from Vijayanagar in Bengaluru, 29-year-old Amir Khan, a salesman, 43-year-old Mahesh, a construction worker and 26-year-old Satish, also a construction worker, all from Attahalli in T. Narasipur taluk and 38-year-old Srinivas of Bannur. Another accused Ayub has gone absconding and the Police have spread their dragnet to nab him.

The victim, Suresh of Hale Kempaiahnahundi in T. Narasipur taluk was working as a construction labourer. His friends Satish, Mahesh and Srinivas had told him that a person known to them was having a ‘rice puller’ and if they purchase it they could sell it for crores of rupees. They told Suresh that they were arranging money to purchase the ‘rice puller’ and asked him to contribute money, the SP said.

Continuing, the SP said that Suresh, believing them, sold his house, agricultural land and gold jewellery and also took a loan of Rs. 18 lakh and gave a total of Rs. 33 lakh to his friends for the purchase of the ‘rice puller.’ But when his friends asked for Rs. 25 lakh more, Suresh told them that he was not interested and asked them to return his money. When his friends did not oblige, Suresh, on Mar. 16, lodged a complaint at Nanjangud Town Police.

A Police team was constituted to nab the culprits and on Mar. 17, the Police succeeded in nabbing the five accused in Mysuru, the SP added.