Vegetable Trader In Sabarkantha Defrauded Of ₹32 Lakh In “Money Doubling” Black Magic Scam By Village Sarpanch And Associates

Sabarkantha: A shocking case of fraud rooted in superstition has come to light in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district, where a local vegetable trader was allegedly duped of ₹32 lakh by a self-proclaimed “godman” promising to double his money through rituals and black magic.

The accused include Alpesh Somaji Thakor, the elected sarpanch (village head) of Ravol village in Idar taluka, along with Jitendra Bhikhabhai Thakor of Golwada and Narsinhbhai Hirabhai Thakor of Padardi. All three have been booked under charges of cheating and breach of trust, following a complaint filed at Khedbrahma police station by trader Rajendra Hirabhai Sagar from Vadal village.

The ordeal began in late 2021 when Rajendra, whose mother was hospitalized in Ahmedabad, met one of the accused, Narsinhbhai, at his vegetable shop. Under the pretense of spiritual concern, Narsinhbhai told Rajendra that he was acquainted with a powerful “tantrik” in Ravol village who could solve his family’s problems through rituals. Curious and desperate, Rajendra agreed to meet the man,who turned out to be none other than the village sarpanch, Alpesh Thakor.

The accused allegedly told Rajendra he could turn ₹10 lakh into ₹2 crore through spiritual means. Over multiple visits, Rajendra was convinced to hand over money in several installments: ₹5 lakh, ₹8 lakh, ₹8.25 lakh, and ₹15 lakh. The trio also demanded ₹5 lakh more for a ritual supposedly conducted in Ujjain and asked Rajendra to retrieve a pot from a cremation site as part of the process.

The psychological manipulation deepened when the accused staged what appeared to be miraculous rituals, including illusions of wealth creation, which Rajendra later described as “hypnotic.” Over time, Rajendra handed over a total of ₹32 lakh under the impression that he would soon see exponential returns.

After realizing he had been duped, Rajendra filed a complaint against the trio, leading to their arrest. Police have obtained three-day remand for all accused to investigate further into their alleged operations and potential past victims. Notably, this isn’t the first time Alpesh Thakor has faced allegations. He was previously named in a similar black magic-related complaint at the Jadar Police Station.

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