Accused Venkatesh
Bengaluru: A man posing as an astrologer has been arrested by Byatarayanapura police for cheating an elderly woman of 329g of gold worth around Rs 40 lakh by promising to resolve her family problems through pujas. The accused, Venkatesh, 55, gained the trust of Sharadha (name changed), a resident of Girinagar, by promising to help her son overcome his alcohol addiction and find a suitable match for her daughter. The deception came to light on Aug 19, when Sharadha asked him to return the jewellery for Varamahalakshmi puja.
He visited her home and said pujas for Chowdeshwari Amma would bring good fortune. A senior officer said that Venkatesh has been taken into custody and they’ve recovered around 200g of gold jewellery. A few years ago, Sharadha, who frequently fell ill, met Venkatesh while undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital. He was giving astrological readings to people on a footpath near the hospital. After learning about her health issues, he gave her a lemon and suggested performing pujas at home. She later felt her health had improved. About one-and-a-half years ago, when her son became an alcoholic and struggled to work, and she faced difficulties finding a match for her daughter, Sharadha searched for Venkatesh, but could not find him. She left her mobile number with auto drivers nearby, asking them to pass it on to him. A week later, Venkatesh called her and assured her that he would resolve her problems. Gradually gaining her trust, he began visiting around every new moon and asking her to hand over gold ornaments for worship, promising to return them. He initially took a 50g gold chain before collecting other jewellery, including chains, bangles, earrings, rings, a bracelet and a pendant, totalling over 329g. That night, she received a WhatsApp video from his number showing him apparently injured in an accident. A person accompanying him claimed he had suffered a serious head injury. However, Sharadha’s daughter recognised the video as allegedly AI-generated. When Sharadha tried calling Venkatesh, his phone was switched off. Efforts are on to recover the rest.
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