Four Arrested in Hyderabad for Cheating 11 People of Rs 1 Crore in Treasure Scam

Hyderabad Police have arrested four men accused of cheating 11 people out of approximately Rs 1 crore through a fake hidden treasure scheme across Hyderabad and the Medchal-Malkajgiri district.

The accused have been identified as Mohd Munawar alias Munna, 36, a painter; Syed Ali Ashraf, 40, an electrician; Mohd Haji, 25, an auto driver; and Mohd Salman, 29, a bike mechanic. The arrests were made by the Task Force of the Rajendranagar-Shamshabad Zone.

According to police, the gang targeted residents by claiming they had the ability to locate buried riches, locally referred to as "Gupta Nidhulu," beneath their homes. After gaining the victims' trust and obtaining permission to dig on their properties, the group created staged scenes to make the presence of treasure appear authentic.

Investigators said the accused secretly buried sacks containing coal and duplicate gold-coated coins before digging. Once unearthed in front of the property owners, the fraudsters claimed that the coal would gradually turn into gold through a special ritual. Believing the claims, victims paid substantial amounts of money to the gang. The accused then left under the pretext that the transformation process required time, later absconding with the cash.

Police identified Munawar as the mastermind behind the scheme. Investigators noted that he worked in painting and denting but conceived the fraud to address financial difficulties, subsequently enlisting the other three men to execute the operation across Hyderabad and adjacent areas.

Officers seized 25 fake gold coins, six kilograms of coal, four kilograms of soil, and various puja materials used during the digging demonstrations. Police also confiscated two cars, an auto-rickshaw, two motorcycles, and four mobile phones.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is ongoing.