Srinagar, Oct 2 (IANS): Police in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district arrested three persons on Saturday for duping a local resident by selling a fake "celestial object" for Rs 4 lakhs.

"A complaint was received by police station Magam yesterday from Gulam Mohammad Wani who alleged that three persons identified as Gulam Qadir Parray, Rafiq Ahmad Parray and Mohammad Aslam Khan duped him by selling the object known locally as 'Trath Gola' for Rs 4 lakhs," the police said.

"The buyer later found the object to be a normal stone. After registering an FIR, all the three accused were arrested and Rs 4 lakhs were recovered from them."

The police has appealed to people not to get swayed by these tactics of anti-social elements and cooperate with the authorities to identify such elements.

For the last few years, rumours about the 'Trath Gola', a perceived celestial object that brings good luck and immense wealth, have been doing the rounds in the Kashmiri society.

Together with the tales about the 'Trath Gola', another such so-called blessed object, 'Nag Mani' is also sought after by credulous locals.