In a shocking case of exploitation, the Santacruz police have registered a case against three individuals for allegedly cheating a 76-year-old man of Rs 1.5 lakh by promising to make it rain money through black magic. The incident highlights how criminals prey on the vulnerable, especially those facing financial distress due to medical emergencies.
The Elaborate Con and the Victim's Plight
The victim, MD Mangi (76), a resident of Santacruz (West), was in desperate need of funds as his wife had been undergoing medical treatment for the past two years. To cover the mounting expenses, he had mortgaged his milk shop for Rs 3 lakh and his house for Rs 2 lakh. It was during this period of vulnerability that the accused learned of his situation and hatched their plan.
On October 25, two of the accused, who had gotten in touch with Mangi through a relative, approached him. They claimed to know a person named Khan Saheb who had the supernatural ability to solve financial problems and could literally make money rain from the sky. Lured by this promise, the elderly man agreed to meet them.
The Fake Ritual and the Theft
The duo took Mangi to a spot on Juhu Tara Road where they introduced him to Khan Saheb. There, the conmen performed a handiwork, placing a black cloth on the floor and showing him what they claimed was money earned through black magic. Convinced by this staged display, Mangi agreed to arrange the sum they demanded.
The accused instructed him to bring Rs 1.5 lakh for the money rain ritual to happen. Hoping to clear the debts from his wife's treatment, Mangi gathered the amount. In a meeting, the fraudsters handed him a bag, claiming it contained double the money he had given. They then promptly fled to Surat, Gujarat, with his cash.
The heartbreaking discovery was made only when Mangi opened the bag. Instead of cash, it was filled with play notes bearing fictitious bank names. Realising he had been duped, he approached the Santacruz police, who registered a case on November 6.
Police Action and Investigation Details
During the investigation, the police arrested two of the accused on Sunday. They have been identified as Illyaz Moosani (35) and Sohail Shaikh (35). The third suspect remains at large, and efforts are ongoing to trace him.
Police revealed that the accused ran a kite shop and a vegetable shop and were aware of the funds Mangi had obtained through mortgaging his assets. This knowledge prompted them to target him with the elaborate fraud. The two arrested men are currently in police custody.
An officer from Santacruz police station stated, "The accused cheated him by giving fake notes of Rs 77,000 and fled away to Gujarat. Mangi arranged the money hoping he could raise funds to clear the debts taken for his wife's treatment." This case serves as a grim reminder for the public to be wary of such supernatural get-rich-quick schemes and to protect elderly family members from financial predators.
