Bengaluru, 14 Oct

A 49-year-old man, identified as Dada Peer, was arrested in Bengaluru for allegedly cheating people by claiming to perform rituals to remove black magic or retrieve hidden treasures, police said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, on 26 September, Hulimavu police detained Peer near Bannerghatta Main Road. He was found in possession of 485.4 grams of stolen gold ornaments worth Rs 53 lakh.

A senior officer said Peer confessed to stealing the ornaments and searching for buyers to sell them. “He deceived the public by claiming to perform rituals or puja, collected gold under the pretext, and then escaped,” the officer added.

The accused revealed a similar offence in Bhadravathi, Shivamogga district, Karnataka. Police said half of the stolen gold was kept at his Kolar residence, while the rest was pledged at jewellery shops in Nagpur and BTM Layout, Bengaluru.

A theft case has been registered at Hulimavu police station, and Peer was formally arrested. Authorities continue to investigate potential accomplices and trace the full extent of the recovered ornaments.