Posing as 'guru', gang dupes elderly man of over Rs 19 lakh in Gujarat; three arrested

Valsad, Oct 30
Three more wanted accused have been arrested in a cyber fraud case in which a 76-year-old man was allegedly cheated of more than Rs 19.60 lakh by a gang posing as an Aghori baba and a guru, promising divine blessings and doubling of money, Valsad district police said on Friday.

The arrests were made from Virpur in Mahisagar district following an investigation by the Valsad Cyber Crime Police Station. The accused have been identified as Mahboob Sheikh (23), Sarfaraz Pathan (39) and Sahilmiya Sheikh (23).

According to the police, the fraud took place on April 29, when unidentified persons contacted the complainant's 76-year-old father through the internet, posing as an Aghori baba and a guru.

They allegedly promised that he would receive the blessings of the goddess and that his money, which was held up, would be doubled.

The accused then provided details of different bank accounts and persuaded him to transfer money into them, cheating him of more than Rs 19,60,500.

A case was registered at the Valsad Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

Police had earlier arrested five accused in the case, while six others were declared wanted.

The cyber crime team subsequently tracked the suspected absconders by examining their social media accounts, bank transactions and call detail records of their relatives, friends and associates, besides gathering human Intelligence.

On October 26, Police Sub-Inspector D.S. Patel received information that one of the wanted accused, Mahboob Sheikh, a resident of Virpur, had been spotted near Dev Chowk in Balasinor.

Acting on the tip-off, a team conducted surveillance in the area and sought assistance from local shopkeepers, autorickshaw drivers and informers to locate him.

After arresting Mahboob, the police questioned him and gathered information about the other two wanted accused, Sarfaraz Pathan and Sahilmiya Sheikh. Both were subsequently arrested from Virpur.

Pathan is a driver and resides near the water tank in the Timba Fali area of Virpur, while Sahilmiya Sheikh runs a paan stall and lives near Desai CM High School in the town. Mahboob Sheikh is employed and resides opposite Yogeshwar Park Society in Virpur.

Further interrogation of the three arrested accused is underway.

In an advisory, the police warned people against claims of doubling money through tantric rituals, describing such promises as fraudulent.

It urged people not to transfer money or share personal information with unknown callers and to disconnect suspicious calls immediately.

Victims of cyber fraud or those receiving suspicious calls and messages were advised to contact the national cybercrime helpline, 1930, or approach the nearest police station.