Family dupes student of ₹3.1 crore in return of black magic cure for his ailing mother

The complainant claims he was forced to sign blank stamp papers under duress after they called him to visit their accused in their residences, said police

NAVI MUMBAI: A 22-year-old man from Nerul has accused a Palghar-based family of cheating him to the tune of ₹3.1 crore over six years by exploiting his desperation to get his bedridden mother cured through rituals, black magic, and threats. Two of them were arrested on September 27 in Palghar, and the police are searching for the others.

Family dupes student of ₹3.1 crore in return of black magic cure for his ailing mother

The Nerul police registered a case on 23 September against six people, including the alleged mastermind, who is a cleric identified as Mustafa Shaikh. His son Ahad, daughter Safina, son-in-law Nanu, and associates Wasim and Rafiq were also booked. The police have arrested Nanu and Safina.

The complainant is a BMS graduate who lives in Nerul with his parents and two sisters. His ailing mother has been bedridden for the past nine years. Despite undergoing several medical treatments, including a prolonged stay at Apollo Hospital in Belapur, her condition did not improve.

According to the FIR, the family met Mustafa alias Kamble, a resident of Seawoods, in 2019 when they were neighbours. Mustafa claimed to have connections at a dargah in Darave where he frequently took sick people. His daughter Safina allegedly told the victim’s family that his mother’s illness was caused by black magic and that a ritual costing ₹50,000 could cure her. The family, desperate for a cure, followed their instructions to administer a procedure involving “enchanted water” and ash. When they saw no improvement, they cut off contact.

In 2020, Ahad allegedly began re-establishing contact with the complainant via WhatsApp, by saying that his mother’s condition had worsened because the earlier rituals were left incomplete, said a police officer. He convinced the youth to transfer money into various bank accounts, assuring that Mustafa and his “guru” in Kashmir would perform more powerful rituals, the officer added.

“Over the next four years, he kept transferring money as they demanded. They told him that without animal sacrifices and further rituals, his mother would die. Out of fear, he borrowed through credit cards, used his father’s accounts, and in total, gave them over ₹3.1 crore,” said the investigating officer.

“The complainant claims he was forced to sign blank stamp papers under duress after they called him to visit their accused in their residences in Mira Nagar, Saphale, and Palghar, in December 2024. We are presently checking the bank transaction,” said the officer.

Police said the accused returned ₹19 lakh earlier this year but continued to withhold the remaining ₹2.91 crore. When the complainant repeatedly demanded that they return his money, he alleged, the accused hacked his phone and threatened to circulate his personal WhatsApp chats.

The complainant recently approached the police and an FIR was registered against the six under section (practising human sacrifice, other inhuman and evil practices, and black magic) 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Black Magic Act, 2013 along with section 3(5) (common intention), 316 (2) (criminal breach of trust), 318 (4) (cheating) and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.