‘Rs 60,000 crore deal with UK govt for rice-pulling machine’: Ex-cop flaunts fancy lifestyle, cheats investors of Rs 4 crore
The former Karnataka Police constable convinced the victims that he required only a few lakhs of rupees to initiate a document processing with the RBI to obtain Rs 60,000 crore deposited by the UK government.
The Karnataka Police have arrested a former police constable and two others for allegedly duping several people of around Rs 4 crore by telling them that the United Kingdom government was purchasing a ‘radium beaming’ rice-pulling machine from him for scientific investigation.
The prime accused, identified as Natesh V R, 44, a resident of Vijayanagar, convinced the victims that he required only a few lakhs of rupees to initiate a document processing with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to obtain Rs 60,000 crore deposited by the UK government, the police said. The police identified the other accused as Venkatesh and Somashekar, residents of Ramnagar.
According to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials, Natesh and his accomplices promised to pay Rs 5 crore to each of the four victims — two businessmen, a doctor, and an engineer — after selling the machine.
The victims told the police that Natesh drove a luxurious Mercedes Benz GLS, flanked by two escort vehicles – a Toyota Fortuner in front and a Mahindra Scorpio at the back, both loaded with bodyguards.
The police seized Rs 28 lakh cash, 1.3 kg gold and the three vehicles from the accused. Natesh was wearing ornaments weighing over 600 gm, the police said.
Police records showed that Natesh was arrested in three previous criminal cases, including two for similar rice-pulling vessel frauds and the third for extortion, booked by the Madanayakanahalli police earlier this year.
Natesh worked as a head constable with City Armed Reserve (CAR) but was dismissed in 2007 for allegedly cheating the public.
The rice-pulling machine scam involves fraudsters marketing a device made up of copper/iridium that they claim possesses magical properties and attracts rice grains towards it. Usually, the accused claim that researchers from NASA would be coming to India to buy it, paying several crores of rupees.
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