A shocking case of financial fraud based on superstition has emerged from Maharashtra’s Thane district in which a family of eight were fraudulently duped of over ₹1.66 crore by a man who used their fear of “black magic” and promised divine intervention through rituals and pilgrimages.
Manjunath Shetty, who resides in Andheri, Mumbai, is among the suspects, police said. An FIR was filed against him by Kasarvadavali Police Station on April 2 after a complaint from the affected family.
As reported, the family was introduced to Shetty at a social event in January 2024. He guided them through their financial hardships to believe that a close relative had done “black magic” to keep them from making a way forward and prosperity, and through their fears and the faith he was able to put his own spiritual power into action and reverse the curse.
Shetty prescribed a number of expensive rituals to neutralize the effects of the alleged black magic and advised the family to make a pilgrimage to the 12 Jyotirlingas, one of the most influential shrines of Lord Shiva. He kept psychological pressure on the family by explaining that regular payments were necessary to solve their problems.
In February and April 2024, the family paid ₹10 lakh in cash for ritual expenses. The financial exploitation continued from May 2024 to January 2026, during which time the family transferred around ₹1.56 crore in online transactions to bank accounts of Shetty and his mother.
Police officials said the accused also told them stories about ongoing legal problems that he needed funds to continue court cases. He told the family if he was in jail the rituals would be incomplete, which only worsened their situation.
A case has been registered under section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating. Further, provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 have been invoked reflecting the seriousness of the allegations.
The investigation is ongoing and there are no arrests so far.
The incident is part of a worrying trend of frauds by self-styled godmen and superstition-driven exploitation in Maharashtra. Recently, a fake godman sexually assaulted a woman in Palghar by claiming he was an incarnation of Lord Shiva and took her to the temple of Lord Shiva. The Ashok Kharat case of Nashik too had many cases of sexual exploitation based on astrology and spiritual healing.
These cases only highlight a lack of awareness in the public about blind faith and this is why the public must be made aware. So we have to be cautious and confirm what we hear and report suspicious activities to stop this sort of thing.
And the Thane case is a particularly clear reminder that fear and belief can be very debilitating in terms of financial and emotional harm.
