Mumbai: A ‘godwoman’ was arrested by NM Marg police on Thursday for cheating and outraging the modesty of a woman. The fraudster, Kiran Daruwala alias Guruma, cheated a Khar resident from 2016 to 2019, making her part with almost `13 lakh over the years.
Police said the Khar resident and her family had been going through a tough time. When a relative asked them to approach a spiritual adviser, Guruma, in Shivaji Nagar, Lower Parel.
Guruma claims she has been worshipping Sai Baba for the last 12 years, can communicate with Baba and bring them good luck through divine intervention.
When the couple met Guruma, she attributed their misfortune to misdeeds in previous births and black magic by enemies. She scared them, saying their daughter could be raped and murdered in and around college.
The frightened family begged her to perform rituals for the family’s well-being. Guruma demanded jewellery, money and valuable offerings every time they visited her.
The complainant said in September 2017, her husband gave in to Guruma’s demand for a gold chain and a gold coin. When learnt, she protested, but Guruma retorted by saying the complainant was a prostitute in her previous birth.
To atone for this, she was subjected to physical torture. She was beaten 51 times with chappals and asked to roam about in the nude in Guruma’s house.
In July 2018, Guruma came to the woman’s house to treat her father-in-law for Parkinson’s disease and ordered all allopathic treatment and medicines be stopped.
She lived in the complainant’s house from November to May, continuing to threaten the family and kept up her exorbitant demands. The last straw was when Guruma wanted the family to buy her a `30 lakh house in Navi Mumbai.
The family realised her demands were unending and their life had not taken a turn for the better. When they told her they could not fulfil this demand, she left the house in anger, uttering curses on them.
Even after leaving the house, Guruma continued to threaten the family with phone calls and messages. The shaken family finally mustered courage to approached the NM Joshi Marg police and register an offence.
“We have arrested Guruma on charges of cheating and under the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act,” said an officer. She was produced in a court, which remanded her in police custody till July 25.
By SACHIN GAAD
