Self-styled godman arrested in Pune for spying, coercion and fraud

The accused has been identified as Prasad Dada alias Baba alias Prasad Bhimrao Tamdar, 29, of Sus Gaon

The Bavdhan police have arrested a self-proclaimed godman claiming to possess “divine powers” after a real estate developer from Sus area filed a complaint against him, alleging mental harassment, surveillance, and extortion, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, Tamdar manipulated the complainant by claiming to have undergone a “spiritual awakening” to remove the latter’s obstacles in life. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The accused has been identified as Prasad Dada alias Baba alias Prasad Bhimrao Tamdar, 29, of Sus Gaon. According to the police, Tamdar manipulated the complainant by claiming to have undergone a “spiritual awakening” to remove the latter’s obstacles in life.

As per the FIR, the accused secretly installed a hidden app called AirDroid Kid on the victim’s mobile phone without his knowledge and used the surveillance data to exert psychological control. Using this access, Tamdar allegedly coerced the complainant into performing obscene acts and even pressured him into visiting sex workers under the pretext of performing “spiritual remedies”.

The victim, a builder residing in Dehu Road, Pune, stated in his complaint that the incidents occurred between November 2024 and June 26, 2025.

Realising he had been manipulated and his privacy violated, the victim approached the Bavdhan Police Station.

The accused has been booked under multiple sections related to cheating, mental harassment, criminal intimidation, sexual exploitation, and offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad police suspect the accused may have used similar tactics to target others in the past.