Inter-state fake godmen gang busted, many held

HYDERABAD: Rachakonda police have arrested an inter-state fake godmen (self-styled Babas)gang.

The gang members are deceiving people on the pretext of conducting special puja, taking advantage of their innocence.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bagawat said at a press conference on Tuesday that Bhuvanagiri special operations team, and Bhuvanagiri town police arrested the gang with the joint operation. The commissioner said that the gang had come from an area called Sirohi in Rajasthan. They were cheating people by performing pujas for curing diseases.

He said a case was registered based on the complaint of a person named Kondal Reddy, a transport business owner from Bhuvanagiri. It is learned that the gang tricked Kondal Reddy by making him believe that if he did not perform the puja, he would lose his life because of the snake dosha and collected Rs.37.71 lakh from him.

As many as seven accused persons were arrested and the police seized Rs. 8 lakhs in cash, counting machine, rudraksha malas, and pooja paraphernalia.