Imagine being told that a treasure chest filled with gold lies buried beneath your house. For many people, the thought alone would be enough to spark excitement and dreams of instant wealth. But for 11 people in Hyderabad, that dream turned into a costly trap after a group of fraudsters convinced them they could uncover hidden treasure beneath their homes.
The promise of buried riches, locally known as "Gupta Nidhulu," was allegedly used to cheat victims of nearly Rs 1 crore before the scam eventually came to light.
The accused allegedly convinced people that they possessed special knowledge to locate such treasure beneath their houses. After gaining the victims' trust, the accused allegedly dug at the sites and showed them fake gold-coated coins and other items to make them believe that treasure had been found.
Four Arrested In Alleged Treasure Scam
Hyderabad Police have arrested four men accused of cheating 11 people of around Rs 1 crore through the fake treasure-finding scheme.
The accused have been identified as Mohd Munawar alias Munna, 36, a painter; Syed Ali Ashraf, 40, an electrician; Mohd Haji, 25, an auto driver; and Mohd Salman, 29, a bike mechanic.
"They are from different parts of Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri district," KS Rao, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force), Rajendranagar-Shamshabad Zone, said.
How The Alleged Fraud Worked
According to investigators, the group would approach people and claim they could identify precious treasure buried beneath their homes.
After gaining the victims' confidence and obtaining permission to dig, the accused allegedly created a carefully planned scene designed to convince them that the treasure was real.
"The group would approach gullible persons and tell them that valuable treasure was buried beneath their houses. After getting permission to dig, the accused allegedly created a fake scene to make the victims believe the treasure was real," KS Rao said.
Coal And Fake Gold Coins Used To Convince Victims
Police said the accused allegedly buried a sack containing coal and duplicate gold-coated coins before carrying out the digging exercise.
When the sack was unearthed, the victims were reportedly told that the coal would gradually transform into gold through a special process. Believing the story, several victims allegedly paid the accused large sums of money.
The fraudsters would then leave, claiming that the transformation would take time, and allegedly disappear with the money before the victims realised they had been cheated.
Main Accused Allegedly Hatched The Plan
Investigators said Munawar was the mastermind behind the operation.
According to police, he worked in painting and denting jobs but struggled to earn enough to meet his family's expenses. He then allegedly came up with the idea of making money by duping people and recruited the three other accused into the scheme.
Together, they allegedly carried out the fraud in different parts of Hyderabad and neighbouring areas.
Police have recovered several items allegedly used in the scam, including two cars, an auto-rickshaw, two motorcycles and four mobile phones.
Investigators also seized 25 fake gold coins, six kilograms of coal, four kilograms of soil and puja materials that were allegedly used to make the treasure-hunting claims appear convincing.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Further investigation is underway.
