Jaipur: In the high-profile case of defrauding a foreign tourist, police in Rajasthan have arrested a head constable and a constable who had colluded with the fraudsters who had duped the Japanese visitor of Rs 31 lakh in 2022.
The Japanese tourist Sasoon Takeshi had filed a complaint through the embassy that he was defrauded of Rs 31 lakh during his visit to Jaipur in December 2022.
According to Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph, the complaint—forwarded to the Rajasthan Police— was assigned to the arrested cops, head constable Satyendra Singh and Constable Rajkumar of Vidhayakpuri police station, who filed a closure on the complaint after taking Rs 7 lakh as hush money from the thugs involved in the cheating.
Speak in Japanese and Trap: The Modus Operandi
The accused fraudsters — Asghar, Sharif and Qayyum — who were eventually arrested on March 29 this year, revealed to the police how they carried out the crime and how the two accused policemen demanded money to shut the case.
Takeshi had reached Jaipur on December 2, 2022, and was staying in a hotel where, on the next day, Sharif, an auto driver, coaxed him by speaking in Japanese, and made him hire the auto rickshaw.
As soon as Takeshi accompanied Sharif, the latter contacted his accomplice Qayyum, and both took Takeshi to their friend Asghar's home in Jhotwara, a suburban area in Jaipur city. Takeshi, who was impressed by Sharif's hold on Japanese language, believed him after he told him they would party and have a good time together.
Asghar, meanwhile, lied to the tourist that he was a high-profile businessman and could help him make a lot of money if he joined them as well. The next day, Takeshi had to go to see the Ganges, but Sharif and his friend Qayyum convinced him to accompany them to Asghar's village, where, they claimed, was a party going on. The two then took the foreign tourist to Ramgarh Sethan village towards Sikar, where he was kept for two days.
Tourist Bought Gold to Pay Fake Policemen
On December 6, 2022, the criminals pulled out their trump card as two fake policemen raided the Ramgarh Sethan house where Takeshi and them were putting up. The fake cops accused the bunch of running a cannabis business and warned them of arrest. The foreigner was also threatened of jail as the fake cops accused him of being involved in the 'drug trade'.
Asghar acted as if he was trying to bribe the 'cops' to hush up the matter, while the other two took away all the cash (around Rs 1.5 lakh) from Takeshi and gave it to the 'policemen' pretending that they were trying to save him.
The 'fake policemen' demanded more money, at which point the trio asked Takeshi if he had a credit card with which they could buy gold in Jaipur city and give the same to the 'cops' to get rid of the matter.
Takeshi, who by now was shocked beyond any measure, complied. The next day, the three took him to Jaipur, where they used his credit card to purchase gold worth about Rs 26.50 lakh at two major showrooms. The fraudsters then dropped Takeshi at the airport. Shockingly, the fraudsters did not stop here, as they continued to dupe Takeshi even when he reached Japan. They took Rs 2.90 lakh from him online by threatening him of consequences.
Enter Real Cops
As the victim understood the entire conspiracy, he filed a complaint with the embassy, which in turn forwarded the same to Rajasthan Police. Head constable Satyendra Singh of Vidyapuri police station was assigned to investigate the case.
On August 27, 2023, Satyendra called accused Asghar to the police station and interrogated him. He along with constable Rajkumar asked Asghar to return Rs 2.90 lakh to Takeshi. However, as the investigation went ahead, the two policemen closed the complaint by taking Rs 7 lakh from the accused in three chunks.
The head constable kept the Police Commissioner in the dark when the latter questioned him about the case. However, as the matter attracted more eyeballs, the two policemen called the accused trio and told them that the case had been reopened, and that they would return their money if they didn't name them (the policemen).
It was at this point that the tourist police station joined the probe in the case and arrested the accused Asghar, Sharif Baik and Qayyum, who, upon investigation, revealed the entire matter. Following it, the police arrested both the two accused cops while the search for other accused in the case is going on.
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