T officer of Rs 31 lakh in the name of ‘overall prosperity’ arrested in Tamil Nadu

Days after a senior income tax department officer in Bengaluru complained about losing Rs 31 lakh to an astrologer, the city police arrested the 59-year-old man in Tamil Nadu, officials said on Saturday.

The Bharati Nagar police identified the arrested man as Shekar, aTamil Nadunative who lives inBengaluru.

The income tax officer with 33 years of experience, currently posted in Koramangala, met Shekar in Bengaluru in December 2025.

According to the police,Shekar told the officer he was going through a difficult phase and recommended a special ritual costing Rs 50,000.

He paid the amount.

According to the FIR, registered on March 5, Shekar told the officer a few days later that the ritual was complete, but a much more powerful ritual was necessary for his career advancement, promotions, and overall prosperity.

Initially, the officer declined to participate.

However, when he later returned to seek advice about a pending job transfer, Shekar pressed harder.

This time, he allegedly asked the officer to bring all the gold and silver ornaments from he had, assuring him that they would be returned after the ritual was performed.

On February 20, while his family was away, the officer collected gold ornaments weighing approximately 194 g, which included a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet.

He also took silver ornaments totalling around 1.3 kg and handed them all to Shekar.

As per the FIR, the astrologer instructed him to return the next day to collect them.

But Shekar kept claiming that the ritual was still ongoing.

When the officer insisted on the return of his valuables, Shekar allegedly stopped answering calls and went into hiding.

The police registered a case under sections 316 (2) (criminal breach of trust), 318 (4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insults intended to provoke a breach of peace or commit another offence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Shekar.

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