Thane: The Badlapur East police registered a case against 3 individuals for allegedly swindling a 63-year-old retired man of Rs 9.78 lakh by exploiting his fear of black magic and evil spirits.According to police, the victim, a resident of Deonar, Govandi, approached the police after realising he was systematically cheated over a period of nearly 3 years. According to the police, the ordeal began in August 2022 when the accused—identified as Brahmadutt Ingle, Shivling Ingle, and Bhavani Ingle—conspired to convince the victim and his wife that their family was under a grave threat. “The trio claimed that someone unleashed a ‘Pishacha’ or evil spirit upon their household and terrorised the couple by predicting that their daughter would face life-threatening consequences unless expensive religious rituals were performed immediately,” said a police officer. Under the pretext of warding off these spirits, the accused told the victim that they needed to visit a religious place to perform specialised ritual ceremonies. Over the next 2 years, the suspects extracted a total of ₹9.78 lakh from the couple in the form of both cash and gold jewellery, promising that these offerings were essential for their family’s safety. The scam came to light when the promised protection yielded no results and the victim realised he was being fleeced. Police officials stated that the accused used fear as a weapon to conduct financial fraud. A case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 for cheating and intimidation, along with relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013. While the investigation is ongoing, police cautioned citizens against such anti-social elements.
