The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police has arrested a proclaimed offender who allegedly duped a businessman of more than Rs 9 crore in a “rice puller” scam by promising massive returns from the sale of purported antique artefacts.
The accused, Satyanarayan Anoria, 53, was arrested from Jaipur, Rajasthan, in connection with a 2020 case registered by the EOW.
The fraud dates back to 2014 when Anoria and his associates allegedly convinced the complainant to invest in so-called rare and valuable objects, including “rice pullers”, radioactive mirrors and other antique items. To gain the victim’s trust, the accused allegedly posed as experts connected with reputed scientific institutions and falsely claimed that agencies such as BARC, DRDO and archaeological laboratories would test and certify the authenticity of the items.
The victim allegedly paid nearly Rs 9 crore through cash transactions, cheques and RTGS transfers. However, no genuine testing was conducted and no antique items were ever supplied, investigators said.
Anoria was earlier employed with the Jaipur Municipal Corporation but was dismissed from service in 2018 after allegedly being found involved in six similar financial fraud cases. He is working as a priest at a temple in Jaipur.
