West Bengal Police uncovered a secret tunnel beneath the house of Saddam Sardar, the prime accused in the Kultali fake gold idol scam. The tunnel, reportedly designed as an escape route, connects Saddam’s residence to a canal leading to the Matla River, which flows near the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The discovery came during a raid on Saddam Sardar’s residence in Kultali, a village in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district. The tunnel, constructed from bricks and concrete, measured approximately 40 meters in length, 8-10 feet deep, 5-6 feet high, and 4-5 feet wide. It was hidden beneath a cot in an underground room of Saddam’s seemingly ordinary one-story house, which was painted in light green, blue, and purple.
Local sources reported that the tunnel had a small iron-grilled door and was intricately designed to connect to a nearby canal flowing into the Matla River. This waterway, in turn, leads towards the Indo-Bangladesh international border. The tunnel’s design allowed Saddam and his associates to escape through the canal and then use boats to navigate the numerous creeks and rivers in the Sunderban delta, thereby evading capture.
The raid on July 15 was part of an investigation into allegations against Saddam and his brother, Sairul, who were accused of defrauding victims by selling fake gold idols. According to reports, the Sardar brothers lured buyers through social media with offers of gold idols at discounted rates. Once buyers arrived with substantial amounts of money, they were either assaulted or robbed and given fake gold items instead.
During the raid, which was prompted by numerous complaints from victims, the police faced an unexpected and violent confrontation. Saddam’s family members, along with local villagers, attacked the police officers. The situation escalated quickly, with family members and a mob engaging in physical violence. The chaos resulted in injuries to at least three police officers, who were struck by stones and other objects.
The violence allowed Saddam and Sairul to escape. During the commotion, Saddam’s brother fired several rounds into the air to further intimidate the police and prevent their advance. The assault on the police was so severe that it enabled the fugitives to evade immediate capture. In the aftermath, Saddam’s wife, Masuda, and Sairul’s wife, Rabia, were arrested for their involvement in the attack on law enforcement.
The tunnel’s discovery shocked the local community and drew significant media attention. Rabiul Laskar, a resident, described the house as unremarkable from the outside, with the tunnel hidden beneath an ordinary facade.
Speaking about the case, the police said that several such fraud gangs have been active in the Kultali area in the name of selling gold idols. “It is a regular business in the area. Their modus operandi is calling the buyers with money to collect gold idols. When the buyers arrive with money, the miscreants loot them and escape,” said an official. “Monday’s mob attack highlights the prevalence of gold idol fraudsters in the Kultali area. Additional forces have been deployed and are searching for other culprits,” the official added.
