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Pune, November 6: A Pune-based IT engineer and his wife, desperate to heal their two ailing daughters, were allegedly duped of INR 14 crore by a self-proclaimed spiritual healer and her associates who claimed divine powers could cure the children. The accused, identified as Vedika Kunal Pandharpurkar, her husband Kunal, and aide Deepak Khadke, allegedly convinced the couple that Vedika was possessed by the spirit of Shankar Maharaj, a revered saint, and could remove the “dosh” (ill effects) causing the girls’ illnesses. Between 2018 and 2023, the couple transferred nearly INR 14 crore to the accused through repeated payments for so-called religious rituals. They sold their house in England, a flat in Pune, a farm in Konkan, and even pledged gold and provident funds. The couple, in their fifties, also borrowed money from relatives, hoping for a miraculous cure. Cyber Scam in Pune: Techie Duped of Over Rs 1 Crore on Pretext of Online Part-time Job, Probe Underway. Their lawyer stated that one daughter is specially-abled, while the other suffers from a severe health condition. Despite the couple’s faith and sacrifice, their daughters’ conditions remained unchanged. Realising they had been deceived, they filed a complaint with the Pune Police on November 3. Matrimonial Fraud in Pune: Woman Doctor Dies by Suicide After Married Man Poses As Single on Jeevansathi.com, Dupes Her of INR 10 Lakh After Promising To Marry Victim. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber and Economic Offences) Vivek Masal said the matter is under investigation and an FIR will be registered after initial verification. The accused trio are currently on the run, and police teams are conducting searches. Authorities have warned citizens to be cautious of individuals or groups offering “spiritual cures” or miracle healing, noting that such scams exploit people’s emotional vulnerabilities in times of distress.
