Man booked for duping Thane family of Rs 1.66 crore with ‘black magic’ claims
Thane (PTI): A family from Maharashtra's Thane district was allegedly swindled of more than Rs 1.66 crore by a man who exploited their fear of "black magic" and promised them divine remedies through elaborate rituals and pilgrimages, police said on Sunday.
The Kasarvadavali police district on April 2 registered a first information report (FIR) against Manjunath Shetty, a resident of Andheri in neighbouring Mumbai, based on the family's allegations that they were manipulated into paying the accused over a period of two years to "neutralise black magic" performed by a relative, an official said.
According to the complaint, the family's ordeal began in January 2024 when they met Shetty at an event, and on learning about their financial struggles, he convinced them that their relative had performed "black magic" on them to hinder their progress.
To counter this, Shetty prescribed a series of elaborate rituals and a mandatory pilgrimage to the 12 Jyotirlingas, temples of Lord Shiva, and by exploiting a series of minor mishaps in the family, he allegedly manipulated them into making several payments, the official said.
Between February and April 2024, he took Rs 10 lakh in cash to purchase ritual materials, and from May 2024 to January 2026, the family transferred approximately Rs 1.56 crore through online transactions to various bank accounts belonging to the accused and his mother, he said.
The accused also claimed he needed money for pending court cases, warning that if he were jailed, the rituals would remain incomplete, and that the family's situation would never improve, the official said.
While no arrest has been made as yet, the police have registered a case against Shetty under section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, he said.
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Assam Police at Pawan Khera's residence in national capital, Delhi Police assisting
New Delhi (PTI): An Assam Police team on Tuesday is at the Delhi residence of Congress leader Pawan Khera for questioning in connection with a case linked to allegations made against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family, official sources said.
The team formally informed Delhi Police upon arrival, following which a local police team joined and is assisting in the proceedings, the source said.
The development comes amid a political tussle after Sarma alleged that the Congress used "false information" sourced from a Pakistani social media group to level charges against his wife regarding multiple passports and overseas assets. He termed the allegations an attempt to influence the Assam elections and a punishable offence.
Khera had recently sought clarifications on Sarma's wife's alleged foreign assets, prompting a complaint and subsequent police action.
