CHENNAI: A gang cheated a couple of Rs 8 lakhs, after promising to perform a ritual to unearth some treasure in Hosur. The police arrested a few members of the gang and are on the lookout for others.

According to a Maalaimalar report, the main accused Lakshmikanth,54, hailing from Bengaluru along with nine others stayed at a lodge in Shanthapuram, Hosur claiming to perform a pooja in the neighborhood to unearth a treasure. 

Upon hearing this, Kullappa and Radhamma, a couple from the area expressed their wish to join the pooja.

A few days ago, Lakshmikanth and his gang pretended to perform the pooja where they handed over some gold coins in a pot to the couple and said that the mission was a success. When Kullappa checked the authenticity of the gold coins, he found that they were genuine.

Following this, when Lakshmikanth offered to perform another pooja for a bigger treasure, the couple readily agreed and spent Rs 8 lakhs on it. At the end of it, Lakshmikanth handed over two closed pots claiming to have treasure and some 'cash' to the couple and asked them to pray to it and open it after three days.

However, the couple's son grew suspicious of all the activity and broke the pots open to find it stuffed with waste papers. Around the same time, the driver who carted the gang around in his car lodged a complaint with the police after they refused to pay him his rental fee. 

Following this, the Nallur police rounded up the gang at the lodge in Hosur. The cops are also on the lookout for three women involved in the scam.