A 37-year-old woman from Bengaluru’s Bagalagunte was allegedly duped of gold jewellery and ₹1.3 lakh in cash, worth about ₹7.5 lakh, by a fake godman who claimed to remove a curse through a ‘puja’. Police have registered a case and launched a search for the accused.
In a shocking case of fraud, a 37-year-old woman from Bengaluru’s Bagalagunte was allegedly cheated of gold jewellery and cash worth lakhs by a man posing as a godman. The accused allegedly exploited the woman’s concerns about her daughter’s troubled marriage by convincing her that a special ritual was needed to remove a deadly curse. He then allegedly fled with her valuables after performing a fake ‘puja’.
The victim, Geetha, a resident of Bagalagunte, had been worried about her second daughter’s marital problems. Her neighbours introduced her to a self-styled godman named Shivakali, who also identified himself as Nithin.
Fake Godman Claimed Daughter Was Cursed
According to the complaint, Shivakali told Geetha that her daughter was under a deadly curse and claimed she would face grave danger unless a special ritual was performed to remove it.
Believing his claims, Geetha agreed to have the ritual performed at her house.
Gold And Cash Stolen During Fake ‘Puja’
On the evening of June 26, the accused arrived at Geetha’s residence to perform the so-called ‘puja’. Before beginning the ritual, he instructed her to ensure that no one else was present in the house.
He then carried out the fake ritual using lemons, holy ash (vibhuti) and akshata (holy rice). During the ceremony, he asked Geetha to bring all the gold jewellery and cash kept in the house.
Trusting him, she handed over 43 grams of gold jewellery and ₹1.3 lakh in cash, which she had saved for renovating her house. The accused then instructed her to tie the valuables in a cloth bundle.
As the ritual continued, he allegedly threw holy ash on Geetha, asked her to bow her head, and struck her on the back. She reportedly lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness about 30 minutes later, the accused had disappeared.
Threatened Her With Death If She Opened The Bundle
Later that evening, Geetha reportedly spotted the accused near Arunodaya Hospital and confronted him about her missing valuables.
He allegedly threatened her, saying that the bundle containing her gold and cash was safe at her house and warning her not to open it for two days. He further claimed that if she opened it before then, she would vomit blood and die instantly.
Frightened by the threat, Geetha did not open the bundle for two days.
Bundle Contained Tamarind Instead Of Valuables
When Geetha finally opened the bundle after two days, she was shocked to find that it contained only tamarind instead of her gold jewellery and cash.
She immediately tried to contact the accused, but his mobile phone was switched off.
Based on her complaint, the Bagalagunte Police have registered a case and launched a search for the absconding accused, Shivakali.