Two men were arrested in Navi Mumbai for defrauding an advocate of Rs 20 lakh by promising to double his money through a fake occult ritual, police reported on July 25, 2025. The accused, Sachin Bharat Sharma alias Premsingh Sadhu Maharaj (35), a labour contractor from Uttar Pradesh, and Jaydeep Dinesh Pamecha (25), a salesman from Rajasthan, were apprehended within 18 hours of the crime on July 22.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Turbhe) Mayur Bhujbal said the duo lured the advocate to a rented flat in Panvel, where they instructed him to chant prayers as part of the ritual. While he was distracted, they fled with the cash, locking him inside. A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for cheating and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Black Magic Act, 2013.

Using technical intelligence and local inputs, police tracked the suspects, recovering Rs 19 lakh of the stolen amount. The duo, who had no prior criminal records, had been residing in Panvel for six months and met the victim through a mutual acquaintance. This incident follows a pattern of fraud cases in Maharashtra, with police intensifying efforts to curb black magic scams, as seen in a 2024 case where a Thane couple lost Rs 5 crore to a similar “money doubling” ruse.

Also Read: Lawyer Scammed of Rs 20 Lakh in Fake Money-Doubling Ritual

Also Read: Man Arrested in Navi Mumbai for Repeated Rape Under False Marriage Promise