India

Two Self‑Proclaimed Godmen Accused of Fraudulent ₹69.30 Lakh Scam

By PTI

Two self‑proclaimed godmen, Rajshekhar Shastri and Guruji Adityanath alias Babu Guruji, have been booked by Chembur police for allegedly defrauding a 60‑year‑old woman of ₹69.30 lakh. The woman was promised that the godmen would cure her sister’s cancer through religious rituals and special pujas. The accused convinced her that her sister’s house was affected by black magic, demonstrating their supposed powers with a trick involving a lemon placed inside a steel container sealed with black thread. They then demanded money for 48 mandal and planetary pujas, claiming the ceremonies would be performed at Kamakhya Temple in Assam and Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Uttar Pradesh. The woman paid the money in instalments, but her sister’s condition worsened. The godmen requested additional funds for further rituals, after which she gave them a gold chain. They warned that the earlier rituals would become ineffective if she refused to pay more. Realising she had been cheated, the complainant approached Tilak Nagar police station. A case has been registered under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, and authorities are working to apprehend the duo.