April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

BADIN, April 16: The town is in grip of swindlers, soothsayers and cheaters who have cheated many innocent people. Their main target is mostly women.

The gang of cheaters comprising three persons, impersonating as Pirs etc is active in looting people. They ask their targets to give cash or ornaments to them and get it doubled.

On Saturday night, two persons trapped a woman at Shahnawaz Chowk and asked her to give them ornaments she was wearing and get it doubled. The cheaters took the woman in confidence within few minutes, she put all her ornaments off and gave to the cheaters, who in return gave some things tied in handkerchief and asked her to open it at the home.

When she reached at home and opened it, he found pieces of iron in the handkerchief. She lost ornaments worth of Rs80,000. The husband of the woman reported the matter to police.

In another case, Abdul Karim Soomro, a resident of Gharibabad ward-6 Badin, had gone to draw cash from NBP Badin branch on Tuesday to meet the expenses of his son’s marriage.

At some distance from the bank, three persons pulled up their car. One of them asked Karim that his fellow was a Syed by caste and he would be solving all his problems. The other one told him that whatever he had in the pocket would be doubled if the Syed fellow keeps his merciful hand on him. Later, the cheaters asked him to hand over the entire cash and get it doubled.

Abdul Karim handed over Rs50,000 to the soothsayers and as per instruction, when he reached home and saw there was no money but wasted papers. He, too, has reported the matter to Badin police.—Correspondent