From ₹38,000 to ₹5 Crore? How a Contractor was Hypnotized and Robbed by Fake Sadhus in Jabalpur
Jabalpur, April 14, 2026 — In a bizarre case of fraud blending street magic with outright theft, a local contractor in Jabalpur was duped of ₹38,000 by a gang of tricksters posing as holy men (babas). The accused hypnotized the victim by allegedly turning soil into money, promising to convert his cash into a massive ₹5 crore sum.
However, the victim’s quick thinking and an immediate, massive 70-kilometer highway chase coordinated by the Madhya Pradesh police led to the swift arrest of the masterminds.
The “Miracle” Trap
The incident took place on Saturday afternoon around 3:00 PM when Pawan Kumar Patel (34), a contractor from Itkhari village in the Tilwara police station area, was traveling toward Bargi on a motorcycle with his friend.
When they reached near the Khamaria intersection, a car pulled up beside them. Two individuals dressed as traditional ‘babas’ stepped out and engaged Patel in a conversation. To win his absolute trust, the imposters performed a sleight-of-hand trick—picking up dirt from the ground and miraculously “transforming” it into currency notes right before his eyes.
Believing the trick to be a display of divine power, Patel was quickly drawn into their trap. The fake babas then made an irresistible offer: if Patel handed over the ₹38,000 cash he was carrying, they would use their powers to instantly turn it into ₹5 crore.
The Robbery and the 70km Chase
Seduced by greed and the illusion, Patel pulled out his cash. However, as soon as he produced the money, the ‘babas’ forcefully snatched the ₹38,000, jumped back into their waiting car, and sped off towards the neighboring Seoni district.
Realizing he had been scammed, Patel immediately began chasing the car on his motorcycle and dialed the Bargi police to report the incident.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Bargi CSP Anjul Ayank Mishra instantly alerted the police control room and coordinated a joint operation with the Seoni district police. Authorities set up a massive dragnet along the National Highway.
After a dramatic 70-kilometer pursuit, the suspects’ vehicle was finally intercepted by the police at Joba village under the Aadegaon police station in Seoni.
Inter-State Gang Arrested
The police detained five people who were inside the car and successfully recovered the stolen ₹38,000 cash.
Initial interrogations revealed that the prime accused belong to an inter-state gang operating across North India. The masterminds have been identified as Vikram Nath (37), a resident of Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, and Naveen Nath (29), hailing from Palwal district in Haryana.
The police are currently interrogating the other three occupants of the car to determine their exact roles. CSP Mishra stated that investigators are digging into the criminal records of the accused to find out if this inter-state gang has victimized other unsuspecting travelers on the highway using similar disguises and tricks. The Bargi police have registered a case and are preparing to take the accused into formal remand for further questioning.
