E-Paper
Godman dupes Pune farmer of ₹12 lakh by promising to find why his cows were not producing milk
PUNE: A self-proclaimed godman was booked late on Wednesday night by Pune rural police for duping a farmer of ₹12 lakh under the guise of providing a solution to his burst drip irrigation pipelines and determine why his cows were not producing milk
PUNE: A self-proclaimed godman was booked late on Wednesday night by Pune rural police for duping a farmer of ₹12 lakh under the guise of providing a solution to his burst drip irrigation pipelines and determine why his cows were not producing milk. The Maharashtra anti-black magic act was invoked against the godman at Walchandnagar police station. Andhashradha Nirmoolan Samiti members claim that multiple other people have also approached them with similar complaints against the man.
The godman was identified as Uttam Lakshman Bhagwat, a resident of Gholapwadi in Walchandnagar area near Indapur in Pune district, while the complainant was identified as Dadasaheb Tamhane (45), a farmer in Aasu village in Phaltan region of Satara district.
Along with Tamhane, there are six others who have lodged their complaints against Bhagwat in the case, according to members of ANiS, an organisation started by slain rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar. The transaction happened between Tamhane and Bhagwat through multiple online transfers between April 15, 2015 and February 20, 2016.
Tamhane was first introduced to the “godman” by his friend in April 2015 when the drip irrigation system on his farm was destroyed by someone in an overnight attack, according to his complaint.
“He kept telling us that a family member will suffer physical harm if we do not pay him so he could perform puja for us,” said Tamhane.
The man also allegedly told the victim that they should not reveal anything about the puja rituals to anyone if he wanted it to be successful.
“The godman has offered to find the person who had damaged the pipelines of drip irrigation in the complainant’s farm. He then told him that someone had performed black magic in order to damage his farm. The farmer believed him and agreed to get a puja done,” said Nandini Jadhav, Pune district head of ANiS.
When asked why the case was registered five years after the incident, Jadhav claimed that the people in the village in Satara are scared of the man and refuse to file a complaint even though he has duped scores of them.
“There are six other people who have each lost multiple lakhs. It is an open secret in this village that he has duped scores of people over multiple years. We have more and more complainants approaching us. The police were not registering a case before. I hope, with this FIR, more people will come forward,” said Jadhav.
“This is the first registered case against him. One other complaint of cheating of ₹4 lakh in the past, before lockdown. But some outside financial settlement was done, from what I have learnt. Yesterday (Wednesday) we got the evidence and now we have a case against him. He has fled from his house, but my team will find him soon,” said police inspector Dilip Pawar of Walchandnagar police station.
A case under Sections 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code along with Section 3(2) of Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 was registered at Walchandnagar police station.
