Fake astrologer gang busted

Rajkot: Rajkot crime busted a gang of fake astrologers, who duped people of their cash and gold ornaments by promising to solve their problems.
Two members of the gang were arrested from Vadodara on Saturday. Natives of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, the gang members had opened offices in several cities and towns of Gujarat and lived with fake names in every place.

Those arrested were identified as 24-year-old Vadodara resident Asif who used names like Kuber, Sonu, Pradip, Amanji, Kabriji, Ubed Malek in different places, and Jakir Ali Malik, 48, of Meerut. Two other gang members are yet to be arrested.

Police said that they had opened Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Dahod besides some other small towns. They had also published pamphlets and advertised that they were experts in astrology and have powerful solutions to people’s problems.

Assistant commissioner of police, crime branch, J H Sarviya said, “They used to asked people to put gold ornaments and cash into a clay pot on the pretext of performing puja. During this process, they used to replace the pot with another one containing duplicate ornaments. They used to ask to ‘customers’ to open the pot after five days.”

In Rajkot, the duo were carrying on this fraud by the name of Guru Amanji and Sultanji in rented office in Pramukh Arcade.

The accused confessed to having stolen 575 grams gold ornaments and Rs 20,000 cash from people in Rajkot.

Asif was arrested by Adajan police in Surat for the same offence four years ago.

The crime branch cops posed as customers and caught them. They used to change the looks and names frequently, making it difficult for police to nab them.