Bengaluru director tries to buy 2 buffaloes from Gujarat trader, loses Rs 4.5 lakh

The case has sparked concern over online livestock fraud, especially as more urban entrepreneurs venture into agriculture. (Representational image)

In a plot twist worthy of a screenplay, Sandalwood director Prem has been duped of ₹4.5 lakh by a Gujarat-based cattle trader who promised to deliver two prize buffaloes—but vanished without a trace.

Prem, currently abroad, was exploring dairy farming when he came across Vaghela Vanarajbhai Shantibhai from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, while browsing online for livestock, the Times of India reported. The trader shared glossy photos of buffaloes allegedly bred for high milk yield. Hooked by the visuals, Prem paid an initial advance of Rs 25,000. Vaghela claimed the animals were loaded onto a truck and en route to Bengaluru.

Encouraged by photos showing buffaloes inside a truck, Prem transferred another Rs 3.7 lakh and Rs 50,000 in subsequent payments. But the promised delivery never arrived. “Not even a tail hair,” Chandru told the publication.

When calls to Vaghela went unanswered, Prem’s team filed a complaint with Chandra Layout police. Officers contacted their Gujarat counterparts, only to find the accused had locked his house and disappeared.

"We thought the photos were genuine. The suspect said the truck would reach in a week," Prem's manager Dashavar Chandru said.

“We’ve registered the FIR based on Chandru’s complaint,” said a police officer. “Prem has assured us he’ll return soon to give his statement.”

Police are now investigating whether Vaghela has defrauded others using similar tactics.

Another incident involving a buffalo that made headlines occured in 2021 when a farmer from Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district went to a police station with his buffalo, complaining that the animal was refusing to be milked and he suspected it to be under the influence of witchcraft. A video showing the man seeking help from the police in Nayagaon village on Saturday over the issue surfaced on social media.

"The villager, identified as Babulal Jatav (45), submitted a complaint at Nayagaon police station on Saturday, saying his buffalo was not allowing to be milked since the past some days, Deputy Superintendent of Police Arvind Shah told PTI. According to the complainant, some villagers told him that the animal was under the influence of witchcraft, he said.

About four hours after giving the application, the farmer again reached the police station with his buffalo and sought help from the police again, he said. "I had told the police station in-charge to assist the villager with some veterinary advice. The villager again reached the police station today to thank the police, saying the buffalo allowed to be milked on Sunday morning," Shah said.

Read more: Man rides buffalo while wearing bunny helmet on Delhi streets. 'Public nuisance', says Internet