A 55-year-old man in Unnao district, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested along with his two sons for a hoax, according to The Indian Express. The man purchased a set of idols of Hindu gods from an e-commerce site and tried to trick villagers into believing he had found them in his field. As villagers thronged the spot to see the idols, the local police too turned up to investigate the matter, foiling their plans.

“They wanted to establish a temple there,” Bangarmau Circle Officer Pankaj Kumar Singh told The Indian Express. “Their objective was to make money because people would donate money on seeing the idols.”

The police said they grew suspicious and started an investigation as the idols looked brand new. According to NDTV, the police also informed the archaeological department about the idols. While the idol set was bought for just Rs 169, the alleged fraudsters managed to raise Rs 30,000, the report added.