AI Image
Lingayya was reportedly last seen on April 15. Months later, on Sept 1, Lingayya contacted Selvaraja from mobile number 9944685128, telling him not to panic as his father was critically ill and promising to return to Bengaluru with the gold shortly. After realising that Lingayya was cheating him, Selvaraja approached City Market police.
Bengaluru: A promise of divine gold became a Rs 1.3-crore nightmare for a goldsmith, who fell prey to a man posing as an Ayurvedic practitioner. Selvaraja stated he handed over Rs 1.1 crore in cash to Lingayya on various occasions. To raise the money, he sold 380 grams of gold belonging to himself and his family, sold a 1-acre-24-gunta dry land near Bagepalli in Chikkaballapura district for Rs 25 lakh, and also borrowed money from a few acquaintances.
The accused reportedly claimed to possess 5kg of gold obtained through divine blessings and gradually won the victim’s trust. Selvaraja said Lingayya performed puja before a photograph of the goddess and made him swear that he won’t reveal the matter to anyone, including his wife or children. Convinced by the promise, the goldsmith sold family gold and land, and borrowed money before handing over the cash in instalments. Fearing he would die if he disclosed it, Selvaraja kept the matter secret even from his wife.