Navi Mumbai News: Fake Godman, Accomplice Held For Duping Lawyer Of ₹20 Lakh In Black Magic Scam; ₹19 Lakh Recovered

The CBD Belapur Police have arrested a fake godman and his accomplice who allegedly duped a lawyer from Mira Road of Rs 20 lakh by falsely promising to double the money through black magic rituals. The accused were apprehended within 18 hours from the Karanjade area of Panvel, and Rs 19 lakh in cash has been recovered.

The arrested duo has been identified as Sachin Bharat Sharma alias Premsingh Sadhu Maharaj (35) and Jaydeep Dinesh Pamecha (25). They allegedly lured Dharamveer Tripathi (42), a lawyer, into believing that his money could be doubled through occult practices. Tripathi had met Sharma a year ago and was gradually convinced of his powers.

On July 22, Tripathi, along with his wife and son, visited a rented flat in Sector 8B, CBD Belapur, carrying Rs 20 lakh in cash for a ritual. The accused set up religious items and placed the cash-filled bag before deity idols. While chanting mantras, he instructed Tripathi’s family and the flat owners to sit in a bedroom and recite prayers, claiming it was part of the process.

Place where the religious ritual was being conducted Place where the religious ritual was being conducted

While the victims were engaged in the chanting, the accused locked the main door from outside, took the bag of cash, and fled on a motorcycle with Pamecha. It was only after an hour that the victims realized they had been locked in and robbed. Tripathi immediately filed a complaint at the CBD Belapur Police Station.

Under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Sandesh Revale and Crime Inspector Arun Pawar, a team led by API Suresh Dambre, API Narayan Palampalle, and PSI Vishnu Wagh launched a manhunt. CCTV footage from the area and technical analysis helped identify and trace the culprits.

Sachin Bharat Sharma

"The accused were arrested from Panvel within 18 hours, and Rs 19 lakh of the stolen amount was recovered from them," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Turbhe division) Mayur Bhujbal said.

According to police, the complainant was a very religious man who wore many religious chains and bracelets and also had multiple religious tattoos on the body due to which the accused felt that he could be deceived using 'religious' tactics. "Sharma is originally a labour contractor while Pamecha is a driver. The role of Pamecha is that he helped Sharma to carry the money from the flat I. Belapur to his residence in Karanja," Srpi Revale said. Initially, the police had suspected the flat owner to be a co-accused in the case but it was later found that he was not aware of the intentions of Sharma. 

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Since the complainant had approached the police immediately after the incident, the police used technical analysis to trace the accused and nab him before he could flee. 

The case was registered under BNS Sections 318(4) and 127(2), along with Section 3(2) of the Maharashtra Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act, 2013.Fake godman