Bhatkal: Bhatkal police have successfully arrested three men in Mangalore who allegedly cheated hundreds of people in Bhatkal and fled the town. The accused are expected to be produced before the District Court in Karwar.

According to police sources, the arrested men have been identified as Balaji alias Ganeshan, Thiyagarajan, and Mayanthan alias Rajesh, all residents of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

It may be recalled that on November 5, the owners of a shop named Global Enterprises, located on Car Street near Marikatta in Bhatkal, allegedly duped hundreds of customers by offering household and electronic items at half price, on the condition that customers make full payment in advance. They had promised delivery within 10 to 15 days after receiving the payment, but absconded after collecting lakhs of rupees. When some customers arrived at the shop to collect their goods on the scheduled date, they found the shop locked and the owners missing.

Following this, hundreds of angry customers gathered at the shop to verify the situation, and some of them entered the premises. A few individuals also took away furniture and other items that were left inside the shop.

Police sources said the arrested accused will be produced before the Karwar court for police remand. They will then be brought back to Bhatkal for further interrogation. The police are also searching for four more individuals involved in the case, and investigations are ongoing. Police confirmed that so far, around 240 customers have lodged formal complaints at the Bhatkal police station, alleging that they were defrauded.

It is believed that customers who made purchases from Global Enterprises before October 28 had received their goods, while those who made advance payments after October 28 were cheated as the shop owners fled with their money.

Police Appeal to Those Who Took Away Items from the Shop:
On November 5, after learning that the shop owners had escaped, a large number of people gathered at the shop, and some were seen taking away sofas and other items in autos and other vehicles. The police have appealed to all such individuals to return the items to the police station immediately.

Police sources stated that all such incidents have been recorded on CCTV cameras installed inside and outside the shop, and they have footage identifying those who took goods from the premises. The police have warned that if the items are not returned, strict legal action will be taken against those involved.