Ahmedabad Police Bust Fake Physiotherapy Gang That Swindled Elderly Man of Rs 7 Lakh
An 85-year-old man in west Ahmedabad fell victim to a cruel scam that promised pain-free walking but instead drained his life savings. The elderly resident, who lives alone and suffers from persistent knee pain and limited mobility, encountered men offering specialised physiotherapy at home. They lured him with false hopes of relief.
Children Unaware Until Relative Raised Alarm
His three children, all in government service with one holding a senior post, remained completely unaware of the deception. The octogenarian only confided in a relative who immediately raised the alarm. By that time, he had allegedly lost approximately Rs 7 lakh to the fraudsters.
Cybercrime Branch Makes Arrest
The city cybercrime branch busted the gang on Monday. Police arrested Mohammed Amjad, a 35-year-old Class 6 dropout from Rajasthan. Authorities have launched a hunt for three accomplices: Mohammed Aryan, Mohammed Sheru alias Noman, and Mohammed Sameer, all also residents of Rajasthan.
Police revealed that the gang targeted the octogenarian just a week ago. They had been operating for the past five to six years. Their method involved careful scouting for elderly people with mobility issues who live alone. They frequented places like hospitals, markets, and religious gatherings to find potential victims.
Modus Operandi of the Gang
The gang members would approach their targets with a convincing story. They claimed to know a senior citizen who got cured through their treatment. Then they would recommend a quack named Dr Diwan. Later, the gang would contact the victim again and offer home-based treatment.
The accused visited victims' homes and performed staged procedures. They injected needles and dramatically claimed to extract black blood from the body. Victims faced exorbitant charges of Rs 7,000 per drop. The gang issued no prescriptions, medical reports, or documents at any stage.
They persuaded the elderly to withdraw large sums of cash from banks. Other gang members discreetly kept watch to ensure no complaints were lodged.
How the Racket Was Uncovered
A Bank of Baroda manager on Drive-In Road alerted police after noticing a senior citizen repeatedly breaking fixed deposits. Acting on standing instructions from DCP (cybercrime) Hardik Makadia to flag unusual withdrawals by elderly customers, police reviewed CCTV footage.
The footage showed a man conducting reconnaissance of the victim's movements for two days. Interrogation led to Amjad's arrest and the recovery of Rs 6.7 lakh.
Complaint Reveals Calculated Trap
The victim's children filed a formal complaint. They described a calculated trap where two men, one masquerading as an engineer and the other as Nitin Agrawal, lured their parents to a sham doctor. The accused allegedly took Rs 4 lakh in cash on the first day and another Rs 2.7 lakh the following day.
This case highlights the vulnerability of elderly citizens living alone. It shows how fraudsters exploit health concerns for financial gain. The Ahmedabad police action serves as a warning to such criminal networks operating in the city.
