Bengaluru woman alleges fake godman duped her of gold, Rs 1.3 lakh through ‘ritual’

3 min readBengaluruUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 12:26 PM IST

The woman told the police that Shivakali, in the midst of the ritual, asked her to bring all the gold ornaments and cash kept in the house, as part of a special puja to ensure her daughter's well-being. (Photo: AI generated image)

A 37-year-old woman from Bengaluru has alleged that a self-styled godman last month duped her of 43 grams of gold and Rs 1.3 lakh after claiming he could resolve her younger daughter’s marital problems through a special ritual and warning her that she would “vomit blood and die” if she opened a cloth bundle before two days.

The police have filed a First Information Report against Shivakali alias Nithin on charges of cheating. “He allegedly fled with the jewellery and cash after deceiving the woman under the guise of performing the ritual. Efforts are on to trace and apprehend the accused,” a police officer at Bagalgunte station said.

According to the police, the victim, Geeta, approached Shivakali alias Nithin, who claimed that her daughter, who was facing marital issues, was under a life-threatening spell. She was introduced to the accused through a neighbour, who told her the man possessed spiritual powers and could solve domestic problems.

“Shivakali offered to perform a special Friday ritual at her house to remove the danger and instructed Geeta to ensure that no one else was in the house. On June 26, at around 4 pm, the accused allegedly arrived at the family’s residence and began conducting a ritual using lemons, ash, turmeric, fenugreek seeds and other items while chanting mantras,” said a police officer.

Geeta told the police that Shivakali, in the midst of the ritual, asked her to bring all the gold ornaments and cash kept in the house, as part of a special puja to ensure her daughter’s well-being.

Geeta placed around 43 grams of gold jewellery – including chains, bangles and rings – along with Rs 1.3 lakh that the family had kept aside for house renovation expenses, inside a cloth bundle, as per the man’s direction, the complaint stated.

“He threw ashes at me from the bag he had brought, bent my head and hit me on the back, and then I fainted. After 30 minutes, I regained consciousness, and found Swamiji had left the house. The valuables were also missing,” the woman stated in her complaint.

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Geeta told police that later in the day, she saw him near Arunodaya Hospital and confronted him about the jewellery and cash she had handed over. The accused told her that the valuables had been tied inside a cloth bundle kept at her house and warned her not to open it for two days, claiming that doing so earlier would cause her to “vomit blood and die.”

Fearing the consequences, Geeta returned home but did not untie the bundle. Two days later, when she finally opened it, she found only tamarind inside. She then tried contacting the accused, but his mobile phone was switched off.

Further investigation is underway.