• Went in pursuit of a fortune box to Bengal
• Accused arrested and brought to Dimapur
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 2 (MExN): One woman, said to be a Naga, lost a whopping Rs 3.5 cr succumbing to the lure of religious quackery. As per the police, the victim, whose identity was not disclosed, went in pursuit of a mysterious fortune box that was supposedly revealed to a fraud priest through a “divine revelation from God.”
The movie-worthy case, dating to 2019, came via a revelation from the Dimapur police in the form of a press release on December 2. The accused, identified as one Rev Timothy Joshi alias Joshua, who was arrested, posed as the pastor of one New Life Church Ministry, reportedly based in Kantibhita, Darjeeling, West Bengal. The release did not specify the date of arrest, while only stating that he was brought to Dimapur following an investigation based on a fraud complaint filed by the unidentified victim.
The release from the police traced the history of the case beginning with the victim getting introduced to the accused Joshi through a friend sometime in 2019. After getting acquainted, Joshi made a “business proposal for purchase of a mystery box,” which was claimed to have been found by a farmer in Kolkata.
He “convinced the victim that he got a divine revelation from God that the ‘Mystery Box’ will bring big fortune and good luck. He told her that the fortune box was on offer for Rs 4 Crore, whereas, its actual worth was estimated at Rs 22 Crore. The victim bought the story.
She was then introduced to one Hanish Awasti, posing as the Managing Director of one RM Trading Company. Awasti promised to buy the ‘Mystery Box’ for Rs 22 cr on the condition that the victim should pay an advance of Rs 4 cr.
The advance was subsequently deposited to various accounts in a series of bank transfers from 2019-2020. It was followed up with a trip to Kolkata reportedly to complete the transaction. She was put up in a 5-star hotel by the scammers, who posing as “high profile businessmen with bodyguards,” met her.
She was then taken to an undisclosed location near the Bangladesh border to collect the “Mystery Box.” According to the police release, they travelled in two cars and returned to the hotel. The first car, carrying her, was send back first. The second, purportedly carrying the divine consignment, followed behind. However, it did not return.
The police release said, “The car with the victim first reached the hotel and while waiting for car with the consignment, Rev Timothy Joshi came and reported to the victim that the police got the information, and started chasing the car to seize the ‘Mystery Box’.” He told the victim that he barely managed to escape, while “the car with box and Bangladeshi occupants ran away due to the fear of police.” He also pretended fainting while narrating his escape story to the victim.
After the story-telling, the scammers pulled out another ploy to extract more money. They told her that an additional Rs 1 cr would be needed to recover the lost “mystery box.” It finally dawned on her that “all is not well with the deal. She declined the new offer and returned home. She tried making contact with Joshi and his scammers in the hope of refund but they went incognito.
She eventually filed an FIR at the East Police Station. The police, “relying on digital communication evidences,” traced Joshi to Kantibhita from where he was arrested. The divine box, it turned out, was nothing but an empty box.
The police described the scam’s modus operandi as Joshi fronting “as a respectable Christian priest” luring “gullible believers into various types of frauds and scams.”
It further emerged that Joshi’s father was also a reverend and his brothers were also actively involved in church ministry. The brothers reportedly has a history of scamming other victims, mostly from northeastern states.
The police advised watchfulness against scams that promises huge returns.
