Delhi Police Arrest Three for Rs 39 Lakh Tantric Fraud
Delhi Police arrested three men for cheating a 79-year-old man of Rs 39 lakh and stealing gold jewellery using fake tantric rituals.
In a chilling case of exploitation targeting the elderly, the Delhi Police have apprehended three individuals for allegedly swindling a 79-year-old man of nearly Rs 40 lakh. The suspects reportedly used the guise of tantric rituals to convince the victim that they could unearth buried ancestral gold.
The Elaborate Deception
The victim, identified as Girijesh Singh, filed a complaint at the Seemapuri Police Station detailing a sophisticated scam. According to the police, the accused—Shoaib Ali, Mahakader Khan, and a man posing as "Krishna Pandit"—gained Singh's trust by presenting him with a genuine gold coin. This initial display of wealth was allegedly used to convince him that they possessed the supernatural powers required to extract hidden ancestral treasure.
Once the victim was convinced, the trio reportedly induced him to transfer a staggering Rs 39,30,588 through a combination of cash and UPI transactions. The scam reached a climax during the night of August 4, 2026, when the suspects staged a ritual inside the victim's home.
Sedation and Theft
The investigation revealed that the accused used steel pots filled with soil and fake gold biscuits to create the illusion of a successful ritual. During this process, Singh was allegedly administered a sedative, causing him to lose consciousness. When the elderly man woke up, he discovered a devastating loss: gold jewellery worth approximately Rs 15 lakh had been stolen from his cupboard.
The Hunt for 'Krishna Pandit'
Following the registration of the case, the Special Staff of the Shahdara District took over the investigation. Through intensive technical surveillance, the police tracked the mastermind, who had been operating under the alias "Krishna Pandit."
The breakthrough came when police traced the suspect to Amba Vihar in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The man, whose real identity was established as Tahsin, was arrested on the spot. It was discovered that he had been using the fake identity of "Krishna Sharma" to build rapport and deceive his targets.
Recovered Evidence and Arrests
Upon his arrest, the police recovered a significant amount of incriminating evidence, including:
- A vehicle used by the suspects
- Cash amounting to Rs 2,73,000
- Stolen jewellery
- Tantric clothing and ritual items
- Multiple identity documents, including Aadhaar cards (under both his real and fake names), a PAN card, and an ATM card
- Mobile phones used during the commission of the crime
Following the arrest of the mastermind, the police also apprehended the two accomplices, Shoaib Ali and Mahakader Khan. These two men are believed to have played a crucial role in introducing the victim to the fake tantric, facilitating the fraudulent transactions that led to the massive financial loss.