ED visits Bengaluru man’s home after viral claim of Rs 50-crore dog purchase, finds it was hoax

Sources told PTI that the dog actually belonged to the man’s neighbour and was not valued 'even at Rs 1 lakh.'

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday visited the residence of a man who had publicly claimed to have imported a dog worth Rs 50 crore — a statement that turned out to be entirely false. The move by the agency was triggered by the man’s sensational social media post, which alleged he had acquired the “world’s most expensive” dog, described as a cross-breed between a Caucasian Shepherd and a wolf.

According to a report by PTI, officials from the federal agency acted on the basis of open-source information after the man’s post gained significant traction on social media platforms. However, upon visiting his home to verify the extravagant claim, the ED officers discovered that the man not only lacked the financial means to purchase such a costly animal, but the dog in question did not even belong to him.

Sources told PTI that the dog actually belonged to the man’s neighbour and was not valued “even at Rs 1 lakh.” The claim, they said, appeared to have been fabricated solely for social media attention.

Photographs of the dog had circulated widely online in recent days, fuelling speculation and curiosity about the breed and the authenticity of the purchase. The man’s assertion that he had imported a Rs 50 crore dog had initially stunned users and invited scrutiny from both media and enforcement agencies.

ED sources confirmed to PTI that the story was baseless and that no further investigation had been initiated under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). “The individual had no means to purchase such an expensive dog. The report was just created for possible social media engagement,” the agency’s sources stated.

The Caucasian Shepherd, known for its large size and guarding instincts, is an expensive breed, but experts have noted that no such recognised cross-breed with a wolf is officially acknowledged, nor would it fetch a price anywhere close to the figure claimed by the man.