Astrologer cheats businessman of Rs. 2.9Mn with fake treasure scam

By B.G.Chaturanga

An astrologer who buried a stock of fake gems in a home garden and misled the owner that a treasure had been buried in the garden and undertook to perform rites to unearth it had cheated him and taken away cash Rs.2.9 million as part payment for digging up the treasure.

The victim was a 70-year-old businessman from Anuradhapura Airport Road.

The suspect had performed rites and unearthed the bunch of fake gems and with the help of a snake charmer put a cobra into the house to frighten the owner of the house that the cobra was a spirit guarding the treasure and that it should not be hurt.

Investigations revealed that the owner of the house had on the previous day sold his tractor for Rs.2.9 million and that he had the money in the house. One of the individuals who came to buy the tractor had told that he was an astrologer, and just as he entered the house he perceived that a treasure had been buried in the garden.

At night he had secretly entered the garden and buried a stock of fake gems, and the following day met the house owner and arranged to dig up the treasure. The astrologer with the help of a snake charmer who had come with him as a helper had secretly put a cobra into the home garden when digging up the treasure and told the owner that it was the spirit guarding the treasure.

He dug up the stock of fake gems and told the house owner that the stock of gems would be valued at more than 40 million. He asked for Rs. 5 million as his share to dig up the treasure. The owner of the house jubilant over the great fortune had relieved himself of Rs.2.9 million he had received by selling the tractor and promised to pay the balance after selling the gems.

The astrologer advised him to take the stock of gems to Anuradhapura Ruwanweli Seya Cheithiya and perform religious rites to please the spirits and till then keep the stock of gems near the shrine in the house and to pay homage. He had promised to come in a couple of days

However, when the astrologer did not turn up as appointed, the owner of the house got one of the gems examined by a jeweller, who confirmed that it was a fake.

Being ashamed that he had fallen prey to a racketeer, he had made a false complaint to the police that a robber entered the house by force and took away Rs.2.9 million at gunpoint.

However, the police, suspecting the authenticity of the complaint, further questioned the complainant, who eventually revealed the truth.

Anuradhapura Division Crime Investigation Unit is conducting further investigations.