Thane: 3 promise realtor shower of Rs 5 crore after prayer ritual

KALYAN: Three people have been arrested for allegedly duping a developer from Dombivli of Rs 56 lakh by promising him a "torrential rain of money" through black magic. The police said that the arrested accused - Ashok Gaikwad, Ramesh Mukane and Sanjay Bhole - had told the developer that they would invoke spirits (aatmaa) and it would lead to a "heavenly shower of Rs 5 crore".
Two of their accomplices who hail from Karnataka are absconding, the police said.
The complainant, Suresh Patil, a developer who lives in Thakurli locality and has his office in Davdi, had recently met Gaikwad who told him that he knew people who could perform a puja (auspicious ritual) to invoke spirits that would shower the money.
After winning Patil's trust, Gaikwad introduced him to the other four gang members who tried to convince Patil that they would charge Rs 56 lakh in exchange of which he would receive the promised bountiful shower of Rs 5 crore.
According to the deal, Saturday early morning Patil kept Rs 56 lakh at office for the puja. After it had been performed, the accused asked the builder to make five rounds of the office building compound. They said it was a necessary step for the ritual to bear fruit.
While the developer stepped out to do the rounds of the building compound, the accused fled with the bag containing Rs 56 lakh. When Patil returned to the office, he found that all five had vanished. Realising he had been duped, he lodged a criminal offence at Manpada police station.
Senior inspector Suresh Bagadesaid they arrested the three men on the basis of visuals captured on CCTV footage.