Koraput Police Arrest 2 in Alleged Gold Conch Fraud

Koraput: A man in Odisha’s Koraput district allegedly fell victim to a con perpetrated by an individual posing as a journalist. The accused allegedly swindled the victim out of Rs. 4,35,000 by selling him a look-alike gold conch.

The victim, identified as Dhanapati Aralye (40), a resident of Khadagput village, reportedly encountered the accused, identified as Chitrasen Khosla (38) and Manas Khora (22) alias Chandal during awareness programs on cow protection and environmental initiatives. Khosla, capitalizing on the trust engendered by their initial interaction, fabricated a story about possessing a genuine gold conch with a market value of Rs. 4 crore. He then offered to sell it to Aralye for a mere Rs. 5 lakh.

Tempted by the prospect of a lucrative deal, Aralye, along with his friend Saroj Khilla, handed over the agreed-upon sum to Khosla on August 19, 2023. However, their elation was short-lived. Upon verification by a goldsmith the following day, their suspicions were confirmed – the conch was a cheap imitation.

Aralye immediately confronted Khosla, demanding the return of his money. Instead of complying, Khosla resorted to threats and intimidation, effectively silencing the victim for months. Finally, on March 8, 2024, Aralye lodged an FIR at the Sadar police station.

The FIR (No-77/dated 08.04.2024) registered under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) details Khosla’s modus operandi of impersonating a journalist to gain the confidence of his targets. Investigation revealed that Khosla might have duped more individuals using the same gold conch ploy.