2 booked for theft of NRI’s passport and extortion of ₹1.5 lakh

One man claiming to be a tantrik (carrying out occult practices) and the other a ragi (religious singer) were booked for theft and extorting money from a 74-year-old non resident Indian (NRI) staying at a gurdwara in Sector 30, and an arrest was made.

Harmeet Singh alleged in a police complaint that Joga Singh and Gurmukh Singh from Ludhiana had extorted Rs 1.5 lakh from him. He said he was and NRI and lived with his children in the US and stayed at the Naamdhari Gurudwara whenever he visited Chandigarh.

The NRI met Joga (42) from Ludhiana and Gurmukh, a ragi, about two months back in Samrala. They claimed to be tantriks and said they would perform rituals for the benefit of his children who were facing problems while settling in the US.

The duo had even asked him to bring gold to the Bhakra Canal in Nangal and throw it in “running water” as part of the rituals and Harmeet claimed that he had given them gold bangles weighing 5 tolas.

It was also alleged that Joga and Gurmukh had come to meet him at the gurdwara on July 10 and had stolen his passport, green card for the US and other documents from his room when he had gone out to get water.

When he had asked the duo to return the documents, he said they asked him for Rs 1.5 lakh.

The NRI filed his police complaint after paying them, following which Joga was arrested, while Gurmukh is yet to be traced.

Joga was produced before the court and remanded to two day police custody. Police have registered a case under sections 380 and 384 of the Indian Penal Code at the Industrial Area police station.