Techie loses Rs 14 crore in quest of 'spiritual cure' for ailing daughters

PUNE: An IT engineer and his wife, desperate to cure their two daughters' ailments since birth, were defrauded of Rs 14 crore since 2018 by a woman claiming to have spiritual healing powers.

The couple, in their fifties, sold properties in the UK and Pune and depleted their savings, including provident funds, to follow the accused's guidance, but their daughters' conditions remained unchanged. The couple's lawyer filed a complaint with Pune Police on November 3, detailing the fraud. "We will investigate before deciding the next course of action, including registration of FIR," DCP (cyber and economic offences) Vivek Masal said Wednesday.One of the couple's daughters is specially-abled while the other suffers from a severe health condition, their lawyer stated. According to the complaint, in 2018, the couple met a "guru" who regularly visited the accused's house in Kothrud and held "darbar" gatherings. He told the couple that the woman possessed spiritual powers that could heal the ailing children.The accused woman convinced the couple that there was a "dosh" (ill effect) on their properties and advised them to sell everything and transfer the money to her account. The IT engineer, who had worked in London for a decade before moving to Pune in 2010, sold his house in England, a flat in Pune, and a farm in Konkan. She further persuaded him to obtain loans from his relatives.The engineer is now struggling to pay off loans while caring for his daughters. A police probe is on.