Two gang members held in Nuh for conning businessmen

Police said there were five suspects present at the scene who tried to overpower the five victims. However, the victims managed to free themselves and called the police control room

Nuh police on Monday arrested two members of a gang for allegedly conning people on the pretext of selling them export-quality wheat. According to cops, the gang call their victims “tatlu” (fool), earning them the moniker Tatlu Gang. The Tatlu Gang gained infamy in 1999 after they started conning people by offering to sell them Mughal-era gold bricks and coins. They have been booked earlier in several cases of fraud and extortion and police are yet to determine whether any gang member was arrested in the past.

The suspects were identified with the help of technical surveillance and human intelligence following which two of them were apprehended from Ferozepur Jhirka and Palwal. (Representative image)

According to Varun Singla, superintendent of police, Nuh, cops received a distress call on October 3 from Rajesh Kumar (26), a businessman and native of Bhabhua in Bihar. Kumar alleged that he and four of his business partners were robbed of their belongings and cash in Mathura. A police team was sent to the spot and the victims were taken to Pinagwana police station. “They were reluctant to file a complaint initially, fearing their lives were at risk,” he said.

“A man claiming to be an exporter called us multiple times, offering to sell export-quality wheat at a discount. He told us to come and check the quality of the grain which he procured in large quantities and was unable to sell off. We decided to go and check out the product quality and reached a hotel in Mathura on October 3. We boarded an autorickshaw from the hotel and reached Hodal toll plaza as instructed. Three men came and asked two of us to board their car, saying the rest can come on the second trip as their godown was close by,” Kumar said.

Krishan Mishra, one of Kumar’s partners who accompanied him to go with the suspects, said the car reached to an unidentified place after driving for an hour. Once they stopped, the suspects held Kumar and Mishra at gunpoint and threatened them with dire consequences. “They took us inside a room in a field and held us captive. They forced us to call our other partners and asked them to come and check out the grain. We were compelled to call and tell them that the driver was going to pick them up,” he said.

Once the other three business partners reached the said location, the suspects assaulted all of them and took away their cash and valuables. Singla said there were five suspects present at the scene who tried to overpower the five victims. However, the victims managed to free themselves and called the police control room. Meanwhile, the suspects fled the scene, Singla added. “The victims said they wanted to return home safely and did not want to pursue legal action. We assured them that the suspects will be arrested and their safety and security will be taken care of while they were in Nuh, following which they filed a complaint,” he said.

The suspects were identified with the help of technical surveillance and human intelligence following which two of them were apprehended from Ferozepur Jhirka and Palwal. They have been identified as Rahul Mohammad of Palwal and Nissar Khan of Alwar, Rajasthan. “Our crime teams are conducting raids to arrest the remaining suspects. This gang has been active for the last few days and this was their first exploit in Nuh. We are questioning the arrested men to find out details of their other crimes,” Singla added.

A case under sections 395 (dacoity), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 25 of the Arms Act was registered against the suspects at Pinangwa police station. Primary investigation has revealed that the gang has been calling different businessmen with offers of selling them grain, rice, cereals and flour, police said.