Online astrologer arrested for cheating woman of Rs 47.11 lakh in Hyderabad

Hyderabad Police arrested Lalit, a native of Punjab, who pretended to be an online astrologer and cheated a woman of Rs 47.11 lakh under the pretext of offering prayers to resolve her issues.

An online astrologer was arrested for duping a woman of Rs 47.11 lakh. (Representative image)

By India Today Web Desk: A man who was masquerading as a love astrologer through his social media handle was arrested in Hyderabad for duping a woman of Rs 47.11 lakh. The accused was identified as Lalit, a native of Punjab.

The victim, on November 19, 2022, filed a complaint with the Hyderabad police that three months ago, while she was searching for an astrologer on Instagram, she came across a profile of an astrologer named Gopal Shastri with the Instagram handle “Astro-Gopal.”

The social media account also had his phone number, and she contacted him and got her love prediction, for which he initially charged her Rs 32,000. Further, under the pretext of performing prayers to resolve her issues through astrology, he cheated her of a total amount of Rs 47.11 lakh.

She filed a complaint with the police and officials arrested the accused, identified as Lalit, a native of Mohali, Punjab. He was booked under Sections 66 C & D of the IT Act and 419, 420 of the Indian Penal Code.

Officials also seized two high-end mobile phones, two debit cards and a chequebook from the accused.

(With inputs from Abdul basher)