In a chilling illustration of how rapacious greed can be weaponized by felons, a businessman from Andhra Pradesh was viciously assaulted and robbed of ₹20 lakh in the Devanahalli taluk of Bengaluru Rural district. The incident was carried out in a secluded private layout near Venkatagirikote, illustrating a repeated "cheap gold" scam that keeps victims entangled across state borders.
The Honeypot Trap
The victim, identified as Vishwaprasad Reddy, is a native of Andhra Pradesh. A group of six individuals was reported to have contacted him, claiming that they possessed a massive haul of 4 kilograms of gold. The fraudsters offered Reddy the precious metal at a significantly lower price than the prevailing market price.
As a trick, the gang arranged for Reddy to contribute an initial installment of ₹20 lakh for the first kilogram of gold. Unaware of the potential high-profit possibility, Reddy traveled from Andhra Pradesh to the outskirts of Bengaluru with the cash to seal the deal.
The Ambush at Venkatagirikote
The perpetrators led Reddy to a secluded spot in a private layout near Venkatagirikote in Devanahalli. When he arrived, the scene turned from business negotiations to an ambush. Rather than produce the promised gold, the six-member gang surrounded Reddy and his accomplice. Before they could react, the robbers hit them on their heads with blunt objects, severely injuring the victims. The gang subsequently took the bag containing ₹20 lakh cash and fled the scene, leaving the bleeding victims stranded in the desolate layout.
Police Investigation and Status as of now
Finding out they had been duped and abandoned with neither the gold nor their hard-earned money, Reddy and his fellow gang member went to the local authorities. The scale of that robbery drew immediate action from senior officials. Bengaluru Rural SP Chandrakanth and DySP Panduranga went to the scene of the crime for preliminary investigation and to coordinate with forensic teams.
A dacoity and assault case was registered by police. Initial investigations indicate that the gang might have been monitoring Reddy's movements and that local informants aided in helping the group select the isolated location for the strike. Police are now screening CCTV footage from the highways leading to Devanahalli and tracking mobile tower locations to find the six suspects.
An Increasing Trend of Crimes of “Gold Lure”
It is a cautionary tale to businessmen and investors. Law enforcement agencies have warned the public all along about “too-good-to-be-true” agreements centered on gold or currency exchange. Criminal syndicates frequently play on “secret treasure” or “smuggled gold” to lure victims to distant areas with no protection. Currently, Devanahalli Police have formed special teams to hunt the "Andhra-Wala" hunters who remain at large.
