'Rice pulling' gang held with air gun in Chennai lodge

CHENNAI: City Police on Saturday arrested four persons, including a Bengaluru-based businessman, who were planning to extort businessmen in the city by luring to invest them in a 'rice pulling' vessel making them believe that it would bring them prosperity.

When police conducted surprise checks at a lodge in Koyambedu, they found an air gun and fake bullets, handcuffs, a leading chain among their possessions. Police also found a couple of spectacles with them, which they were allegedly planning to sell to gullible persons claiming that the glasses have magical powers which can help the wearer see others naked, police sources said.

The arrested persons were identified as R Suriya (39) of Bengaluru, Ghubabib (37), Jithu Jayan (24) and S Irshad (21) - three from Kerala.

Suriya deals with an antique business while Ghubabib runs a bakery in Kerala, police said.

Explaining the modus operating, an official said that the fraudsters' claim that their vessel, made of copper and iridium would attract rice grains to it and also attribute unfound characteristics such as its use in nuclear reactors. "Usually, the modus operandi is to claim that these rice pulling vessels are those hit by lightning which transforms a normal metal to acquire such properties and superstitious businessmen usually fall for it, m" said the police officer.

Police investigations revealed that Suriya had also cheated a city-based trader, Nagarajan of Rs 5 lakh. Nagarajan had approached Suriya to buy antique items and paid an advance, but as he did not give the items, Nagarajan demanded the money back.

When he met Suriya at the lodge, he and his accomplices had threatened Suriya with a fake gun.

All four of them were produced before a magistrate and remanded in custody.