Overview
- Kasarvadavali police registered an FIR on April 2 against Manjunath Shetty after a Thane family alleged he took more than Rs 1.66 crore by claiming to counter 'black magic'.
- The investigation now sits with the Thane crime branch, which is trying to locate the accused, who has not been arrested.
- According to the complaint, payments began with Rs 10 lakh in cash between February and April 2024, then about Rs 1.56 crore was sent online from May 2024 to January 2026 to accounts linked to Shetty and his mother.
- Police say Shetty pushed elaborate rituals and a pilgrimage to the 12 Jyotirlingas, temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, and used routine mishaps to pressure the family for more money.
- Officers cited cheating under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra's anti-black-magic law, in a case highlighted alongside other recent faith-based frauds in the state.