Guwahati: A clergyman hailing from West Bengal’s Darjeeling district has been apprehended by the police for allegedly defrauding a woman in Dimapur, Nagaland.
Reverend Timothy Joshi, the pastor of New Life Church Ministry in Darjeeling’s Kantibhita, is accused of enticing unsuspecting individuals, engaging them in various fraudulent schemes.
As per a report in the Nagaland Post, the complainant reported that in 2019, a friend introduced her to Reverend Timothy Joshi for assistance in his church ministry, and they became acquainted.
Subsequently, Joshi proposed a business venture involving the purchase of a ‘Mystery Box’ supposedly found by a Kolkata farmer, promising great fortune.
The victim, convinced by Joshi’s divine revelation, paid Rs. 3.5 crore for the box, alleged to be worth Rs. 22 crore.
A staged event near the Bangladesh border, involving fake businessmen and bodyguards, added to the deception. Joshi later feigned police interference, demanding an additional Rs. one crore.
Unveiling the scam, the victim sought a refund, but the scammers vanished. The police, relying on digital evidence, traced Joshi to Khantibhita (Darjeeling), where he was arrested. The modus operandi revealed Joshi’s exploitation of his priestly status for various frauds, echoing a history of scams involving his family in land deals, real estate, and fake gold bars across North Eastern states. Preliminary findings exposed the ‘Mystery Box’ as an empty container, confirming the victim’s deception.
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Authorities have unveiled that the accused, in collaboration with his brother, has a history of involvement in various scams, predominantly targeting victims from the northeastern states.
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