72-year-old widow promised 100 years’ longevity, loses Rs 2 lakh

Surat: In her greed to live life as an affluent centurion, a 72-year-old widow living in Valsad had to wash hands off cash and jewellery worth over Rs 2 lakh to conmen.
Nirmala Patel was approached by two men who claimed to be black magic practitioners and that they can make her live for 100 years. Accused Nitin Jogi and Rohit Jogi duped the gullible woman of her money through various bogus rituals till they were nabbed in a trap by Pardi police station cops.
According to police, the duo had approached Patel around two months ago when they had come to collect donations for a temple. After Patel gave them Rs 1,000, the duo told her that they can help increase her longevity as well as get her a lot of money. Patel fell into their trap and gave them Rs 10,000 more.
“Initially they took Rs 10,000 and their demand for money increased. On their demand, the woman also gave her gold jewellery worth Rs 1.3 lakh to them,” said sub-inspector B N Gohil of Pardi police station.
After taking the valuables, they told her that they would return for the final rituals. Recently, they came again and asked for more cash from Patel. The woman asked for some time and informed her brother. Patel’s brother made her realize that she was being cheated and approached the police. Cops made a plan to nab them in the act and hid themselves in Patel’s house on Sunday. “When they reached, the woman signalled us and we arrested the two accused,” Gohil said.
The duo confessed to targeting elderly people in villages and small towns who they identify when they go to collect religious donations. “We are trying to find out where else they have targeted people,” the PSI said.