Bhopal: 3 Held For Duping Woman Of ₹40 Lakh On Pretext Of Treatment Through Sorcery

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The crime branch police on Sunday busted an interstate gang involved in duping a 25-year-old woman of cash and jewellery worth Rs 40 lakh on pretext of treating her ill mother through sorcery.

Police team arrested the main accused, his two accomplices and recovered jewellery worth Rs 13 lakh while two of his aides with the remaining cash and valuables are still at large, officials said.

Additional DCP (crime) Shailendra Singh Chauhan said Aarti (name changed) approached police and lodged a complaint against Ankit Singh (25) of Pushpa Nagar.

She said her mother was ill for some time. She met Ankit who claimed that he would treat her mother through sorcery. Ankit told her that her mother and brother might die if special puja was not performed soon. Scared, Aarti gave Rs 20 lakh and jewellery of equal worth to Ankit for performing sorcery. However, Aarti grew suspicious when Ankit demanded more cash and approached police.

Crime branch team led by sub inspector Sabir Khan nabbed Ankit and questioned him. The interrogation revealed that Ankit, a native of Balia in Uttar Pradesh, used to do private job in Bhopal and was living in a rented accommodation in Aishbag area.

Ankit had given jewellery to his landlord Sunny Awasthi who used them for taking gold loan. On their confession, police team seized some jewellery from Ankit’s room and those mortgaged at private bank.

Ankit’s maternal uncle Mohit Singh was arrested from Gujarat as he had transferred Rs 9 lakh into his uncle’s bank account. Ankit’s brother Ashu and his room partner Lucky Pandey are on the run with the remaining cash and jewellery, additional DCP Chauhan added.