The victim, M. Kumuda, 40, originally from Palamaner in Andhra Pradesh and formerly residing in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru, had planned to raise a loan against her family-owned property.
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The Central Crime Branch (CCB), Bengaluru, is on the lookout for a self-styled godman and two of his associates who allegedly cheated a 40-year-old homemaker of around ₹2 crore in cash and gold jewellery worth about ₹50 lakh by falsely promising to repay her ₹10 crore after receiving ₹505 crore from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The victim, M. Kumuda, 40, originally from Palamaner in Andhra Pradesh and formerly residing in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru, had planned to raise a loan against her family-owned property.
Through her Mysuru-based friend Jyothi, she was introduced to Bharath and later to Shankar, who allegedly collected the property’s documents and claimed that obtaining a loan would be difficult as the property already had a ₹50 lakh loan. They subsequently persuaded her to enter the real estate business with them.
After Kumuda’s son met with an accident in November 2023, Bharath allegedly told her that her house was affected by “negative energy” and introduced her to Afsar Pasha alias Guruji (Munwar Ali Shah). The self-styled godman allegedly conducted a homa and havan at her residence and collected ₹8 lakh for the rituals.
The complaint states that Afsar Pasha later claimed he was due to receive ₹505 crore from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and allegedly sent Kumuda WhatsApp images of what he claimed were RBI certificates bearing his photograph. He reportedly promised that if she gave him ₹2.5 crore, he would repay her ₹10 crore once the RBI funds were released.
Believing the documents to be genuine, Kumuda allegedly sold her house for ₹8.5 crore and handed over nearly ₹2 crore in cash in instalments at locations near Mysuru Palace and another residence. She also allegedly gave gold jewellery worth around ₹50 lakh.
When she later demanded the return of her money and jewellery, Afsar Pasha allegedly refused, claiming she had no proof of handing over the cash and valuables. He also allegedly threatened to kill her if she continued to demand repayment.
Based on the complaint and directions from the Police Commissioner’s Office, the CCB has registered a case against Afsar Pasha alias Guruji (A1), Shankar, Bharath and others under Sections 318(4) (cheating), 338, 351(1), 351(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The investigation is under way.
Published – July 30, 2026 06:47 pm IST
