New Delhi, June 17 A 35-year-old man posing as an astrologer was apprehended from Jaipur by the Cyber Police of North District, Delhi, for allegedly duping a 28-year-old woman of Rs 3 lakh under the guise of providing astrological and spiritual remedies.
The accused, identified as Sumit Bhargav, a resident of Manyavas, Mansarovar, Jaipur, used Instagram to lure victims with advertisements offering to resolve personal and emotional problems through 'spiritual' solutions.
The victim, a Delhi-based IT analyst from Sant Nagar, Burari, came across his Instagram profile and contacted him via WhatsApp to discuss her personal difficulties.
Claiming to offer astrological remedies, Bhargav demanded money in parts, finally totaling around Rs 3 lakh, for various rituals and the removal of “negative energy” from her life.
According to police, the victim soon realised that she had been duped when no remedies were performed and the accused stopped responding.
She filed a complaint through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), which led to the registration of an FIR under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at PS Cyber North.
Sensing the gravity of the offence, a dedicated police team led by SI Tasveer Mathur, comprising ASI Sandeep and HC Vinit was constituted, under the close supervision of Inspector Rohit Gahlot, SHO/PS Cyber North and guidance of Ratanpal Singh, ACP/Operations Cell, North District, Delhi.
"During investigation, the bank accounts details, Call Detail Record of alleged phone numbers were sought, money trailing was conducted and other technical details were obtained from different sources", said a statement from the Delhi Police.
"Preliminary investigation has revealed that the victim in this case has been duped in a very professional and systematic manner. Technical surveillance and manual Intelligence have been developed continuously", it added.
Multiple raids were conducted in the Mansarovar and Vidhyadhar Nagar areas of Jaipur. Bhargav was traced to his residence and was questioned by the Delhi Police team.
He admitted to posting spiritual remedy ads online, stating that he had learned the trade from his grandparents and father who practiced astrology.
He claimed to have performed symbolic rituals in Vrindavan, UP, but admitted that there were no real outcomes.
One mobile phone with a SIM card used in the offence was seized from him.
The bank account used to collect the money has been frozen. Bhargav was booked under Section 35(3) of BNSS, and further investigation is ongoing.
The Delhi Police urged the public to remain cautious while dealing with such online claims and to report suspicious activity promptly.
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