Man posing as mystic held for duping people with fake rituals; Gold worth ₹53 lakh recovered: Report

A 49-year-old man, posing as a mystic, was arrested in Bengaluru for duping people with fraudulent spiritual rituals.

A 49-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly conning people under the guise of performing spiritual rituals to ward off "black magic" or uncover hidden treasures, Bengaluru police confirmed on Tuesday.

The man, arrested in Bengaluru, stole gold jewellery valued at ₹53 lakh, convincing victims to hand over their valuables. (iStockphoto)

The accused, known by several aliases but identified as Dada Peer, was found in possession of stolen gold jewellery weighing over 485 grams and valued at approximately ₹53 lakh, said a report by news agency PTI.

The case surfaced on September 26 when Hulimavu police received a tip about a man behaving suspiciously near Bannerghatta Main Road. Officers responded quickly, detaining the suspect, who was later found to be a native of Kolar.

Upon searching him, authorities discovered a stash of gold ornaments. When questioned, the man admitted to stealing the jewellery and actively looking for potential buyers to offload the loot, said a senior officer.

Following his confession, a theft case was filed at Hulimavu police station, and the suspect was formally taken into custody, said the report.

Further interrogation revealed that the man had been masquerading as a spiritual healer. He allegedly lured victims by offering to perform rituals to eliminate evil forces or uncover mythical hidden treasures, convincing them to hand over their valuables as part of the ceremonies. He would then vanish with the ornaments.

He also confessed to a similar crime committed in Bhadravathi, Shivamogga district.

Investigators found that part of the stolen jewellery had been stashed at his home in Kolar, while the rest had been pawned at jewellery stores in Nagpur and Bengaluru’s BTM Layout.

(With inputs from PTI)