Chennai: A 31-year-old man was arrested for deceiving a woman into handing over nearly 70 sovereigns of gold jewellery after convincing her that her home in Kodungaiyur was plagued by evil forces and required rituals to ward them off. Police said Bujangaram, 67, his wife and two daughters placed all their valuables in a bureau locker at home before leaving for a family function in Dec last year. On Feb 19, when Bujangaram opened the locker, he found it empty; nearly 70 sovereigns of gold ornaments were missing.
He lodged a complaint. Inquiry revealed that Bujangaram’s daughter, Aishwarya, 29, had become acquainted with a man named Sri Deepadharshan through her friend Jayasri. He told Aishwarya that evil forces were present n their house and that special rituals were required to remove them. He convinced her that gold was necessary to perform the rituals and gradually collected the ornaments from her without the family’s knowledge. Kodungaiyur police arrested Sri Deepadharshan. Police also found that Jayasri acted as an accomplice in the crime. She is absconding.
