Hyderabad: The number of fake babas is on a rise in Hyderabad. Some claim to have supernatural powers while some dupe their customers for several lakhs in a bid to get them cured.
The Hyderabad police on Wednesday arrested a baba for allegedly raping a 26-year-old woman multiple times in Meeraj Colony. Identified as Abdul Manan, claimed to have supernatural powers, the Humayun Nagar police said. 30-year-old fake baba sexually exploited the victim to get her cured of problems, reports The News Minute.
As per the reports, gangs of fake babas are roaming in Hyderabad’s Old City, as a number of such cases are being registered. As per the police, these unemployed and poorly educated babas have a mass following and have people from MNCs as supporters.
List of babas recently caught:
1. A self-styled godman and astrologer, who even had made appearances on TV was arrested by Hyderabad Police in September last week. The 44-year-old was arrested for allegedly sexually exploiting several women.
Identified as Narasimha Charyulu, claimed that he would solve marital problems of couples and then trap women, the police said. The Meerpet Special Operation Team, which arrested him, said that the accused was a Class 10 pass out.
2. 30-year-old Syed Akhot Ghori was arrested by Asif Nagar police, after he allegedly duped a family of Rs 70 lakh, to ‘cast away evil spirits’.
“The accused used to be a baba in Karnataka and practised black magic. When the victim approached him, the accused told the complainant that the family need to get rid of evil spirit and would perform black magic and the accused collected Rs 70 lakh,” the police had said.
3. Another astrologer was arrested in September by the SR Nagar police for allegedly duping people by selling ordinary stones, like diamonds at high rates. The police seized 97 such ‘diamonds’ from his possession.
“He offered cheap colourful stones he had bought from Charminar, and collected huge money from his clients. He said that they were genuine diamonds purchased from eminent jewellers in the city,” ACP Punjagutta, M Venkateshwarlu was quoted as saying.
4. Shaik Abdul Raheem, alias ‘Bhai Miya’ was arrested by Hyderabad police in August after he allegedly molested a woman. The baba claimed having an ability to turn a female foetus into a male, by altering the DNA composition at a cost of Rs 20,000.
5. In August itself, Karimnagar police arrested Pidathala Venkatswamy, 60, and found 56 idols, rings, pendants and other ornaments. Which he got after duping innocent people for Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh to perform pujas for Vaastu, treasury hunt, fertility, jobs, marriage, high crop harvesting and others.
It is becoming highly tough for Hyderabad police to weed out such fake babas, as people from educated backgrounds are ready to meet fake babas’ demands.