Thane, February 13 Four individuals have been arrested for allegedly defrauding a 67-year-old resident of Mumbai out of nearly Rs 10 lakh by exploiting his fears related to black magic and ghosts, Thane police said on Friday.
The accused, Shivling Ingle, Rohit Shinde, Brahmdat Ingle, and Bhavani Ingle, were taken into custody after the police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act.
Police said that the complainant, Chandrakant Chile, met the accused during a visit to Badlapur in Thane district for a birthday event. Posing as astrologers, the accused allegedly told Chile and his wife that a "serious crisis" was looming over their home due to a ghost.
To "prevent" the crisis, the accused asked Chile to obtain four gold nails, each weighing 1.5 tolas, for some rituals and promised to return the items later. They allegedly extracted nearly Rs 10 lakh from Chile under various pretenses, according to an official.
Chile filed a complaint after the accused continued to demand more money, said inspector Rajesh Gajjal from the Badlapur police station, adding that the investigation indicates the involvement of another person who collaborated with the accused.
