Inter-state fake sadhu gang nabbed by Rachakonda Police in Telangana; Rs 8.3 lakh seized
India Today
Telangana Police nabbed an inter-state gang of fake sadhus, arrested seven accused, and seized Rs 8.3 lakh cash from them. The gang had been cheating innocent people by claiming they had doshas and that poojas needed to be done to rid them of the dosha.
An inter-state fake sadhu gang, comprising seven accused, were arrested by the Rachkonda Police in Telangana on Monday, July 4. The operation was conducted jointly by the special operations team, Bhongir Zone and the Bhongir Town Police.
The gang was arrested for cheating innocent people and collecting huge amounts from their victims through a hawala network.
The accused moved across localities disguised as sadhus. They targeted people with mental disabilities and confused them by stating that they were having some doshas. Then, in the name of performing occult poojas, the gang collected a huge amount of money through a Hawala network.
On November 29, 2020, one of the gang’s victims, Kondal Reddy, while returning from the fields to his home, saw a snake crossing his path. He lost his balance and fell from his motorcycle, sustaining injuries. On December 16, when he was at his office, the accused, Sanjunath and Ghorakhnath, went there to collect alms.
Upon seeing him, they enquired about the cause of the injuries and Kondal Reddy narrated the incident. By taking advantage of his innocence, the accused pressured him, stating that he had Sarpadosha, and to recover from it, a pooja had to be done.
The victim believed them and paid Rs 41,000 for the pooja articles as demanded by them. Later, the accused, along with the rest of the gang, namely Ramnath, Jonnath, Govindnath and Arjunnath visited his house, performed a pooja and collected Rs 41,000.
They kept him under further duress and collected Rs 37,71,000 from the date of the incident to February 2022.
