'Fake' astrologer held from Jaipur for cheating Delhi woman of Rs 3 lakh

New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) A self-styled astrologer who duped victims by promising to rid their life of negative energy through paid spiritual remedies was apprehended by the Delhi Police in Jaipur, an official said on Tuesday.

The matter came to light after a 28-year-old woman, an analyst in an IT company, alleged that she had been duped of about Rs 3 lakh by the accused, identified as Sumit Bhargav (35).

She complained that the accused claimed that he could perform religious rituals to fix problems in her personal and professional life.

"Bhargav operated a network of online spiritual scams and had a methodical modus operandi where he posted attractive astrology-related content on social media, engaged emotionally vulnerable individuals and persuaded them to pay for elaborate spiritual cures with no real intent of delivering results," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said.

While Bhargav hails from a family of traditional astrologers and uses this background to project legitimacy, he confessed that the rituals were largely performative and aimed at securing money from the clients.

"According to the complainant, she had first come across the accused's social media profile which showcased various spiritual remedies. She contacted him through his number, following which he claimed that her life was under the influence of negative energy," the DCP added.

Over time, he convinced her to pay approximately Rs 3 lakh in multiple transactions for various rituals, including 'pujas' allegedly conducted at Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh but the promised transformation never took place, the officer said.

The man soon became unresponsive, prompting the victim to file a complaint following which a case was registered under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, (the power of police to arrest without a warrant) and an investigation was launched.

"During the investigation, our team conducted raids across the Mansarovar and Vidhyadhar Nagar areas of Jaipur. He was finally tracked down to his residence, where he was found living with his wife and two children," the DCP said.

He said the accused was bound down and his bank account, which received the fraudulent payments, was frozen. PTI SSJ SSJ KSS KSS