Store owner duped of Rs 8.5L in ‘cash rain’ ritual

Rajkot: Three persons tricked a provision store owner with promises of a miraculous ‘money shower' and swindled him out of nearly Rs 8.5 lakh. The victim Manvir Dangar filed a complaint at the Aji Dam police station naming Dhaval Joshi, Magan Thakor, and Lalsingh Parmar who convinced him that if he performed certain rituals, he could trigger a rain of cash and even double his money. Dangar told police that he handed over Rs 5.83 lakh to Joshi, Rs 2.62 lakh to Parmar, and Rs 5,000 to Thakor, at different times and locations.Dangar revealed that he had started a decoration business about a year-and-a half ago after facing losses in a previous venture. During this period, he came in contact with Thakor, who claimed to know a "Bapu" (Joshi) who could perform rituals to make money literally pour from the skies.Thakor took Dangar to Joshi's house, where the latter, seated on a bed, instructed him to carry out an elaborate ritual. Dangar was told to place a photo of Lakshmi Ji, accompanied by flour and 14 incense sticks, inside a closed room for eight days. Only after performing this ritual, he was promised, would the money shower begin.Dangar paid an initial Rs 10,000 via UPI and performed the rituals. But no money came. Over time, the accused demanded more cash and online transfers, yet the promised "rain of rupees" never materialized. Attempts to contact them afterward went unanswered.