Belagavi police have arrested Basavaraj Durgappa Budabudaker, 37, who had swindled money from childless couple claiming that he was an astrologer who could seek divine blessings, to help them give birth to children.
The accused who had hailed from Sindhanur in Raichur district faces allegations of cheating several persons in Belagavi. He had printed pamphlets in the name of Jyotishi Ram Bhat and advertised of unlimited divine powers to help childless couples get children. When some persons hopeful of getting children called him, he gave them lectures about faults in their horoscope or other details and asked them to perform some rituals. After finding out details of their residence, he told them that he lived in faraway towns and that he could not come to their homes, he convinced them to organise Homa and other rituals online.
He routinely collected his fees by asking the victims to transfer money online or through mobile payment applications. After one of the affected persons filed a complaint with the CEN police station, an investigation was ordered by police inspector B.R. Gaddekar. A bunch of similar complaints followed later. The accused was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
