Thrissur: Four Assamese labourers who defrauded two persons from Nadapuram of Rs 4 lakhs with a promise of hidden treasure of gold were arrested by Chalakudy police here on Monday. While trying to flee with the money, they jumped into a lake and one of them was admitted to a hospital.

The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Sirajul Islam, 26, Gulzar Hussain, 27, Abdul Kalam, 26 and Mohammad Musmil Haq, 24. They were arrested by Chalakudy Police in Perumbavoor.

According to police, Mohammad Sirajul Islam, a native of Assam who worked as an excavator operator in Nadapuram told Rajesh and Lenish, residents of Nadapuram that his friend unearthed a treasure while demolishing a building and that they could obtain gold worth a huge profit if they brought Rs 7 lakhs to Thrissur. Rajesh and Lenish, along with Mohammad Sirajul Islam, travelled to Thrissur by car for the transaction. At Chalakudy Railway Station, they handed over Rs 4 lakh in advance to three individuals introduced by Mohammad Sirajul Islam. In return, they were given a bundle purported to contain gold, but later realized it was fake. When they discovered the fraud, Rajesh reported to the police.

Initially, Rajesh and Lenish told police that they had come to buy a car and handed over the money for that purpose. However, further questioning revealed the gold scam. Around 1 am, the police received information that four people had jumped into the Chalakudy River. Fire and rescue teams, including a scuba team, conducted a search on Monday. Four of them while walking along the railway line jumped into the lake after they saw a train approaching, police said.

Subsequently, the police investigation revealed that the group, including one injured individual, had escaped in an auto-rickshaw from Muringoor. The auto-rickshaw driver was located, and further investigations centered on bus stands and hospitals in Angamaly, Perumbavoor, and other areas. One of the suspects, Abdul Kalam was found admitted to a private hospital in Perumbavoor with injuries. He claimed that he had sustained injury at his workplace following a fall.