Nashik: The case against Arun Dhondu Patil, suspected of cheating a woman from Panvel of ₹7.5 lakh by promising to cure her asthma and make money rain through alleged supernatural powers, has taken a new turn. According to media reports, two legislators from Khandesh and Marathwada were also allegedly cheated of approximately ₹2.25 crore. The two MLAs were reportedly in contact with Patil for nearly two years. However, their identities and the exact details of the alleged financial transactions have not been officially confirmed.
The case came to light after a woman from Panvel alleged that Patil brought her to Nashik's Gangapur area, promising to cure her illness through occult rituals and generate money using supernatural powers. She reportedly paid ₹7.5 lakh, but neither was her illness cured nor did the promised money materialise. Following the complaint and intervention by activists of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), police registered a case against Patil at Gangapur Police Station in Nashik. Media reports published on Oct 21 stated that the suspect was absconding.
The alleged involvement of two legislators has raised questions about the possible extent of the case and whether other people may also have been targeted. Investigators will need to verify the financial transactions, examine supporting evidence and record statements from the people concerned. Patil's alleged political connections have also drawn attention, although such associations alone do not establish involvement in any offence. The identities of the two legislators, the circumstances surrounding the alleged ₹2.25 crore fraud and the possibility of additional victims remain to be established through the police investigation.
