NEW DELHI, March 26 -- The IGI Airport Police team has arrested four impostors who posed as saadhus of the Haridwar Akhara and defrauded a victim by taking his gold ring under the guise of offering blessings and good fortune.

The accused were identified as Rinku Nath (30), a resident of Haridwar, Uttrakhand, Sahil Nath (22), a resident of Dhanpura, Haridwar, Uttrakhand, Rocky Nath (35), and Vickey Nath (31), both residents of Vikas Nagar, Sonipat, Haryana.

According to the police, the accused were nabbed following a swift investigation. The victim's gold ring was recovered from their possession.

The case unfolded on March 23, when a PCR call was received at IGI Airport police station reporting that four men dressed as sadhus had deceived a man and taken his gold ring near the JW Marriott Hotel, Aerocity.

The complainant, Gagan Jain, a Chartered Accountant from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, was in Delhi to attend a conference.

After checking out of his hotel, he encountered the four accused near Gate No. 5 of JW Marriott Hotel.

The impostors, with ash smeared on their bodies and bells tied to their feet, introduced themselves as high priests of the Haridwar Akhara and claimed expertise in Vedic knowledge.

Despite initial hesitation, Jain was persuaded to give them his gold ring after they convinced him that the ring was defective and needed to be removed to avoid misfortune.

They warned him not to look back after giving the ring, instilling fear that failure to comply would lead to loss. Jain later realized he had been duped and reported the incident to the police.

A dedicated team led by Inspector Sushil Goyal, SHO/IGI Airport, under the supervision of ACP/IGI Airport, quickly swung into action.

CCTV footage from the area was analysed, and all possible entry and exit routes were examined. Swift action led to the arrest of the four accused in Mahipalpur. During interrogation, they admitted to the crime, revealing they belonged to the Sapera community and had devised the scheme after witnessing devotees offering valuables in Haridwar. Further investigations continue.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.