The three men were taken into custody on Friday in Virpur, a town in Mahisagar district, after police traced their movements through bank‑transfer logs and social‑media activity.
The scam began on April 29 when the victim, a 76‑year‑old from Valsad, received online messages from people posing as an Aghori baba and a guru. They promised divine blessings and a doubling of his money, then supplied bank‑account details that led him to transfer more than Rs 19.60 lakh.
Police Sub‑Inspector D.S. Patel received a tip on October 26 that Mahboob Sheikh was near Dev Chowk in Balasinor. A surveillance team, aided by local shopkeepers and autorickshaw drivers, located him and, after questioning, identified the other two wanted accused, who were arrested shortly thereafter.
The cyber‑crime unit also combed through call‑detail records and bank‑transfers of the trio’s associates, gathering evidence that will support prosecution under sections 318(4), 61(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 66(D) of the IT Act. The police have issued a warning against offers that promise a doubled return through tantric rituals and urged citizens to report suspicious calls to the national helpline 1930 or to the nearest police station.
Interrogations of the three arrested men are ongoing, with the court hearing expected within the next few weeks.