KOLKATA: CID officers nabbed a gang of seven fraudsters, including a central government employee, from Jadavpur on Friday morning. The gang allegedly cheated a Bangalore-based antique trader of around Rs. 1 crore.

Months back, Uttam, an employee of antique trader S Rangappa, had first informed him about the rare antique' a rice puller. There is popular myth among antique collectors that some people in West Bengal have a rare piece of metal (copper iridium) with supernatural powers. It is supposed to pull rice.

"During British rule, the government had installed copper sticks to mark land for distribution. In recent years, rumour spread that these century-old bars had turned into copper iridium and they had supernatural powers. These are known as rice pullers. In the antique market, they are expensive items," explained an antique dealer.

In August 2008, Uttam took Rangappa to Ajit Dev, a resident of Krishnagar, who promised to arrange a rice puller for him. Rangappa and two of his friends paid more than Rs. 60 lakh as advance for the antique item'.

Gradually, they came in touch with Subhajit Basu, Jit Ghosh, Rajiv Sikdar, Tapan Roy and Tarun Roy through Ajit.

The gang took them to Krishnagar and Siliguri. They apparently even showed the dealers a pyramid-shaped piece of metal, which actually pulled rice. Convinced, Rangappa went to Kakdwip, where the gang had promised to deliver the item. While returning, his motorboat got stuck in the mud. Though he reached the shore, Rangappa realised the metal piece was gone. Suspecting that he was being duped, he lodged a complaint with police.

Probe revealed that the rice puller' myth had been spread by the gang. CID officers nabbed the seven fraudsters but failed to recover the money. Sources said the kingpin of the racket is still at large. All seven have been remanded in police custody.

Read more: Magic metal fraud: CID nabs seven, kingpin still at large - The Times of India -