In a shocking incident, a US-based businessman suffered the consequence of his belief in superstition. The victim was not only duped of a whopping Rs. 2.5 crores for a ‘tantric’ treatment for his heart condition but was also held captive in Greater Nodia for over a year. In the aftermath, four people have been arrested by the Greater Noida police for allegedly cheating a California-based businessman of over Rs 2.5 crore by promising to cure his heart ailment with the help of certain tantric rituals.
The accused reportedly run an event management company and had been cheating the victim for over a year. The matter came to light when the victim’s wife living in California informed the police of the fraud. Upon sending a team to the address, the police found the victim along with four persons, and the man was rescued during the raid, while the others were arrested.
The victim, Sanjay Sharma, was confined to a room and harassed for more money under the guise of treatment by seven accused. The police have identified the arrested accused as Mohammed Faizan, Vishal Kumar, Himanshu and his wife Mona, and more raids are being conducted to nab the others.
Over several months, the accused extorted crores of rupees from Sharma, under the guise of treating him.
The Facts of the Matter
Belief in superstitions can lead people to make irrational decisions and take drastic actions. In some cases, it can even result in falling victim to frauds and scams, as people are willing to do anything to get rid of their fears and insecurities.
The recent development of a California-based businessman who lost over Rs 2.5 crore to fraudsters promising to cure his heart ailment through certain tantric rituals is a perfect example of how believing in superstitions can have serious consequences.
Accused Run an Event Management Company
The victim, identified as Sanjay Sharma, is a California-based businessman was cheated of over Rs 2.5 crore by a group of people in India who promised to cure his heart ailment with the help of certain tantric rituals. The accused, who run an event management company, reportedly confined the victim to a room and harassed him for more money under the guise of treatment.
Victim had Heart Problems
Sanjay Sharma, 45, hails from Amritsar and had moved to California with his wife several years ago. In 2022, he came to India and stayed with his friends. Sharma had a heart problem and had even undergone open-heart surgery. During his trips to the country, he got acquainted with a man named Himanshu who runs an eatery in Delhi. Last year, Sharma told Himanshu about his heart problem.
Getting Embroiled in World of Superstition
In April 2022, Himanshu and his wife Mona took Sharma to meet a tantric named Mohammed Faizan, who claimed to have supernatural powers. Faizan assured Sharma that his heart ailment would be cured
after certain rituals. To convince the man, the accused would talk about fake tantric studies and perform tricks with black clothes, sweets, incense sticks, Indian Express reported.
The Never-Ending Extortion
The accused first demanded some gold objects which cost around Rs 45-50 lakh each. They made the victim order the gold items. After some time, they directed the man to shift to another place and asked him not to leave the room. They even threatened him, saying that he would get a heart attack if he disobeyed.
This went on for months, and when Sanjay said he wanted to return to California, the accused told him that his wife and kids would “suffer” if he stopped the treatment.
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The Aftermath
Sanjay’s wife, who lives in California with their three children, called the police when she learned about the fraud. The police received the call on Friday and sent a team to the address. They found Sanjay along with four people and rescued him during the raid.
The accused have been arrested and booked under charges pertaining to cheating, wrongful confinement and criminal breach of trust
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