District police today arrested a member of a gang who allegedly duped people in setting up mobile towers on vacant plots, and extorted money in the name of a children's charitable trust.
According to the police, the gang cheated people and took money for setting mobile towers in the name of a leading mobile company on applicants' land. They were also allegedly involved in extorting money through children's' trust.
The accused, Gaurav, confessed upon interrogation that the Govind Children's' Charitable Trust, an NGO to help children in distress, was set up by the alleged gang leaders, Arvind Arya and Ajay Kumar.
They operated from Ghaziabad-based office with a team of 15 telecallers.
The duo charged Rs 50,000 for setting up towers, in return the accused assured them by depositing security money through fake cheques, police said.
The incident came to light when a city advocate filled a complaint after he realised that he was duped in shelling out money for the tower, following which a case was registered at the Kotwali police station, he said.
The advocate was called from different numbers based in Ghaziabad wherein he was insisted in donating money to the Trust, he said.
Ghaziabad police is on the lookout for the absconding accomplices, he said adding that the investigation is on in the matter.
