He wanted to make a quick buck but got deeply entrenched into a financial mess.
Abdul Rauf Mohammad Siddiqui, 50, who met a tantrik six years ago and fell prey to his claims that he possessed supernatural powers, which could help him earn money. Six years later, he ended up losing Rs1.28 crore.
Siddiqui’s friend introduced him to Mohammad Zubair Maqbool Ansari alias Baba Ansari, 44, in 2005.
Siddiqui, a scrap dealer in Kurla, was facing a financial crisis and went to Ansari, who claimed to possess supernatural powers, using which he claimed to help Siddiqui to tide over the problem, said Kurla police.
“Ansari told Siddiqui that his house was possessed by evil spirit and that was the reason for his poor economic condition. He asked him for Rs1 lakh to make the potion that would help change his luck. He kept asking Siddiqui for more money over a period of time claiming that he required things like tiger’s skin, a peacock to slaughter and an owl’s egg, etc,” said Salim Siddiqui, his nephew.
Siddiqui had to sell off his Kurla house, five shops and land in his village to keep up with the ‘payments’. “After my uncle had spent Rs30 lakh on Ansari, the latter tricked him by saying that he felt bad that Siddiqui had to spend so much. He promised to help him acquire a pot of gold. But then again he asked for more money,” said Salim. “Siddiqui ended up paying Rs1.28 crore to Ansari over the past six years. He had to dispose of his two scrap shops at Kurla and Sion, and his three shops in his native Uttar Pradesh. Siddiqui also sold off his house, wife’s jewellery, land. He had to take loans to acquire that pot of gold”, said assistant police inspector Bharat Jadhav from Kurla police station.
{{/usCountry}}Siddiqui had to sell off his Kurla house, five shops and land in his village to keep up with the ‘payments’. “After my uncle had spent Rs30 lakh on Ansari, the latter tricked him by saying that he felt bad that Siddiqui had to spend so much. He promised to help him acquire a pot of gold. But then again he asked for more money,” said Salim. “Siddiqui ended up paying Rs1.28 crore to Ansari over the past six years. He had to dispose of his two scrap shops at Kurla and Sion, and his three shops in his native Uttar Pradesh. Siddiqui also sold off his house, wife’s jewellery, land. He had to take loans to acquire that pot of gold”, said assistant police inspector Bharat Jadhav from Kurla police station.
{{/usCountry}}Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kurla Division) Prabhakar Satam said, “Ansari has been arrested on charge of cheating Siddiqui to the tune of Rs 1.28 crore.”
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