Hyderabad: Shivababa alias Shivananda, who allegedly stole Rs 1.32 crore from Lifestyle building owner Madhusudan Reddy, after drugging him during a puja for multiplying money, was detained under the PD Act. Shivababa and his two associates were arrested in June.
Shivababa, who hails from Karnataka, was involved in seven cases of cheating people by claiming to be a baba having magical powers to multiply money, in Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
In June he conducted a demo puja at Madhusudan Reddy’s residence in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad and doubled Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. Convinced that he had powers, Madhusudan Reddy brought out the entire cash he had at home worth Rs 1.33 crore and kept it for puja, which Shivababa performed in the presence of Madhusudan’s wife and son. During the puja he drugged them with prasadam mixed with datura and sesame seeds and after they lost consciousness he fled with the money.
Madhusudan met the baba an year ago through a friend in Bengaluru after hearing about his powers. The baba had “magically” doubled an amount of Rs 2 lakh.