Tantrik cheats Himachal people of Rs 7 lakh on pretext of banishing evil spirits
Poses as disciple of Mata Shikari Devi, victims approach Mandi SP for help
MANDI: A tantrik operating in Himachal Pradesh allegedly defrauded residents of nearly Rs 7 lakh under the guise of conducting rituals to rid their homes of evil spirits.
The accused, claiming himself to be a disciple of Mata Shikari Devi, collected money from victims across various districts but failed to perform any of the promised rituals. The victims have now approached Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandi, Sakshi Verma, demanding their money back.
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Residents from different parts of Himachal, who hold deep faith in Mata Shikari Devi, were convinced by the tantrik’s claims and handed over large sums, ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh per person. Despite these payments, made both in cash and through online transactions such as Google Pay, the tantrik never conducted any rituals to resolve their issues, leaving the victims in despair.
The victims revealed that the fraudster had given different names to various people and even claimed to be a contractor working for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). When the victims attempted to retrieve their money, they were either ignored or refused. After several futile attempts to recover their funds, they turned to the police for help.
A group of victims, led by local resident Karan Malhotra, met SP Sakshi Verma in Mandi to report the incident. Pradeep Kumar from Chachyot and Tara Devi, a local resident, expressed their frustration, stating that the tantrik had taken advantage of their faith. They provided the SP with evidence of the transactions and other fraudulent activities conducted by the tantric.
Sakshi Verma confirmed that the police were investigating the matter thoroughly, based on the victims’ complaints. “The investigation is ongoing, and we urge the public not to be deceived by individuals who manipulate faith for fraudulent purposes,” she said.
