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Mangaluru: In a shocking case of fraud, six individuals posing as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) swindled a beedi businessman of Rs 25 to 30 lakh in cash and five mobile phones at Kolnad in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada on Friday night.

The incident came to light after Mohammed Iqbal, 27, lodged a complaint with the police, stating that his father, a beedi trader, was targeted by the imposters.

According to the complaint, the six accused arrived at the businessman’s residence around 8:10 pm in a car with Tamil Nadu registration plates. Claiming to be ED officials, they announced that they had orders to search the house and began confiscating mobile phones from the family members.

The fraudsters reportedly discovered Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in cash, which the businessman had kept aside for business purposes. They claimed that keeping such a large amount was illegal and threatened to arrest him unless he complied. By 10:30 pm, the group left the house, instructing the businessman to submit documents at the ED office in Bengaluru to reclaim the money.

Later, upon discussing the incident with his family, Iqbal realized that the individuals were not ED officials but fraudsters who had impersonated authorities to rob them.

A case has been registered at Vittal Police Station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. An investigation is underway, and the police have promised swift action to apprehend the culprits.

Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Yathish N, along with senior officers, visited the crime scene and assured the family that the perpetrators would be brought to justice at the earliest.

Mandya: A 21-year-old man died after he allegedly blew himself up with a gelatin stick in front of the house of a girl he was in love with after her family rejected him, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred at Kalenahalli village of Mandya district on early Sunday morning, they said.

According to police, Ramachandra was in a relationship with a minor girl. Last year, he was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act after he eloped with the girl. He was arrested in the case and spent three months in jail as an under-trial.

After getting released from jail, he entered into a compromise with the girl's family and the case was refuted in the court. But later, he started calling the girl and continued to maintain his relationship with her, police said.

Apparently, the girl's family was planning to get the girl married to someone else once she attained the legal age, a senior police officer said.

Ramachandra, a resident of a neighbouring village in Nagamangala taluk was allegedly upset with the girl's family for rejecting him. Suddenly on Sunday, he reached in front of the minor girl's house and detonated the gelatin stick he carried with him and the explosion claimed his life on the spot, the officer added.

Based on the complaint from the deceased person's family, calling it suspicious death, a case has been registered, police said. His family was in quarrying business and that's how he got access to gelatin stick, police said.

Udupi: In a shocking case of investment fraud, a 72-year-old man from Udupi, Karnataka, lost Rs 49 lakh after falling prey to a deceptive stock market scheme. The incident highlights the growing menace of online scams targeting unsuspecting individuals.

According to the complaint filed by Francis Castelino, an unknown individual added his son's mobile number to a WhatsApp group titled "Stock Market Navigation." The group shared stock market insights and promised lucrative returns, convincing Castelino’s son to invest. Trusting the information, the son persuaded his father to make substantial investments.

On December 30, 2024, Castelino transferred Rs 17,00,000, his wife contributed Rs 10,50,000, and their son invested Rs 21,50,000 to the bank account provided by the fraudsters. 

However, when Castelino attempted to withdraw the invested money, he and his family were pressured to reinvest further. Realizing that the promised profits and their principal amount were not forthcoming, the family approached the police for help.

A case has been registered at the Udupi CEN Police Station under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and 318(4) BNS. Investigations are underway to track down the culprits and recover the lost funds.