Quack dupes 40-year-old goldsmith of ₹1.3 million, promising five kg gold coins from hidden hoard

A 40-year-old goldsmith has filed a police complaint alleging that he was duped of ₹1.3 million by a man posing as an Ayurvedic practitioner who allegedly promised to sell him five kg of gold coins he allegedly recovered from a hidden hoard.

According to the complaint, the goldsmith was suffering from an illness for nearly two years when he came in contact with the accused, identified as Bhootha Lingaiah, a man aged around 55 years who was said to be from the border region of Tamil Nadu.

The accused allegedly gained the complainant’s trust by offering Ayurvedic medicines, claiming that they could help him recover from health problems.

The complainant claimed that the accused subsequently told him about the quantity of gold coins he had allegedly found in a hidden treasure and offered him five kg of the precious metal for sale. The goldsmith, who trusted the accused’s claims, allegedly agreed to the deal and started paying him money in installments.

The complainant allegedly paid a total of ₹1.3 million to the accused over a period. Of this, around ₹20 million was transferred online to a bank account allegedly linked to a woman identified as Luvavathi, while the remaining ₹1.1 million was allegedly paid in cash.

To arrange the money, the goldsmith claimed to have sold a plot measuring one acre and 24 guntas along with other property. Despite receiving the money, the accused allegedly did not deliver the promised gold coins and continued to give assurances.

The goldsmith called on the police to investigate the alleged fraud, recover the money and initiate appropriate legal action against the accused and others suspected of involvement.

The city police started a search for the perpetrator.

Published – 10 October 2026 20:45 IST