Fake sadhu cons Bengaluru car driver, steals ₹70,000 gold ring after performing ‘magic’: Report | Bengaluru

A Bengaluru-based car driver was tricked out of a gold ring worth ₹70,000 by a man impersonating a sadhu, who used deception and intimidation to carry out the theft. The incident occurred in the afternoon of April 19 in Vasanth Nagar, outside a five-star hotel, reported The Times of India.

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How the driver was conned?

According to the report, the victim is identified as 53-year-old A V Venkatakrishnaiah, who works for a jewellery company and had just dropped off his employer at the hotel. While he remained seated in the vehicle, talking on the phone, a man dressed in saffron robes approached and asked for help.

According to Venkatakrishnaiah, the man claimed to be tired and requested water. Without waiting for a response, he entered the car and initiated a seemingly spiritual interaction. He handed over five rudraksha beads, asking for four back, and then cut a lock of his own hair, instructing the driver to wrap it along with the remaining bead in a piece of paper.

What followed added to the confusion—when the driver unwrapped the packet, he was surprised to find a rose instead of the bead and hair. The so-called sadhu, speaking in Hindi, declared it a good omen and asked for Venkatakrishnaiah’s gold ring as a gesture of goodwill. When the driver hesitated, the man began yelling and smeared ash on both their foreheads, further unsettling him.

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“I don’t remember what exactly happened after that. I felt disoriented and ended up removing the ring and handing it over,” the driver is quoted as a saying.

The sadhu then instructed Venkatakrishnaiah to drive away immediately without looking back, warning him of potential trouble. It was only after driving some distance that the driver realized he had likely been conned. Shaken, he went home and informed his family. He reported the incident to police on April 21.

By the time a complaint was filed, CCTV footage from the location had already been overwritten, as the system only retains data for a week. However, police are reviewing footage from other buildings nearby in hopes of identifying the suspect.

A senior police official revealed that the accused may have partially undressed before getting into the car, possibly to shock or distract the driver.