From reuniting lost love to ‘arranging death’:Tantric tells Bhaskar reporter’s girlfriend will come for ₹1 lakh, mother can be killed for ₹5 lakh

‘If you want your girlfriend back, it will cost ₹1 lakh. If you want her mother removed, it will cost ₹5 lakh. The job will be done in three days.’ This chilling statement emerged during a conversation between a Bhaskar reporter and a self-proclaimed tantric posing as a Naga Sadhu. The man claimed that through tantra-mantra rituals, he could reunite lost lovers and even eliminate obstacles using so-called ‘Maran Kriya’, a ritual meant to cause death. Bhaskar had been receiving consistent inputs suggesting that an organised fraud network was operating across parts of India, particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. These networks function through alleged ashrams, dargahs and social media platforms, claiming to solve personal problems, from love affairs to eliminating enemies. To uncover the truth and understand how people are trapped through fear, superstition and emotional vulnerability, Bhaskar launched an investigation. One of the most startling revelations came when the reporter sent a photograph of actress Sunny Leone, posing as his girlfriend, to test the tantric’s ‘divine powers. Despite the obvious possibility of verification, the tantric did not attempt to check authenticity and immediately began offering solutions, exposing the fraudulent nature of such claims. Why the investigation began ? Social media platforms are flooded with pages promoting such services. Many unsuspecting individuals fall prey, losing large sums of money. Two recent cases highlight the scale of the fraud: Case 1: Fear of ghosts used to extort ₹10 lakh
In Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, police arrested a fake tantric named Shivkant, who called himself the ‘Baba of Bengal. He allegedly frightened a family with claims of ghosts in their home and extorted nearly ₹10 lakh in instalments under the guise of rituals. Case 2: Paralysis ‘treatment’ scam
In Anuppur, a gang comprising Sukhnath Giri, his wife Leela Giri and an accomplice defrauded a family by claiming to treat a paralysed elderly man through rituals. Initially, police extracted ₹1.51 lakh from them; later, they recovered goods worth ₹12 lakh. Investigation Part 1: ‘I Can Give Death’ The Bhaskar team travelled to Rajgarh, where they encountered a tantric known as ‘Bam-Bam Naga Maharaj. Inside his ashram, villagers surrounded him, offering bundles of ₹500 notes while sharing their problems. The reporter posed as a man from Bhopal seeking to win back his girlfriend. After chanting and ritualistic gestures, the tantric claimed: ‘She is with someone else now. It will cost ₹1 lakh. We are Naga Babas, we speak the truth. He demanded ₹50,000 upfront and promised results later. However, when told that the girl’s mother was the obstacle, his tone shifted, hinting at more sinister ‘solutions’. Investigation Part 2: The ‘Scientific’ Approach At another ashram on Kurawar Road, Pandit Narendra Nagar presented a more organised setup. Claiming that senior officials were his followers, he analysed the reporter’s situation and demanded ₹2,100 for a 90-day ritual. He suggested that the girl was under a spell and required ‘vashikaran removal’. A leaflet listed unusual ritual items, including cactus nails. He assured success, stating confidently that the girl would be brought back. Investigation Part 3: No religious boundaries To test whether such fraud was limited to a specific community, the reporter visited a dargah in Raisen, posing as a Muslim man seeking to marry a Hindu girl. An alim there requested names, photographs and maternal details, promising guaranteed results within 40 days ‘if God wills’. He cautioned secrecy due to social sensitivities. However, when the conversation shifted towards eliminating the girl’s mother, his responses revealed a similarly disturbing willingness to engage in unethical practices. Investigation Part 4: The Social Media ‘Call Centre’ The final phase examined online operations. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are flooded with advertisements promising solutions such as ‘bring back lost love’ or ‘remove enemies’. These operate like call centres, standard replies, quick follow-ups and fixed packages. A tantric operating under the name Charandas offered tiered pricing: ₹7,800 for a basic ritual and ₹9,600 for a stronger one. When the reporter mentioned a police commissioner as an obstacle, the tantric claimed he could ‘paralyse’ him within three days for ₹11,000. Most disturbingly, he also offered a ‘Muth Karni’ death ritual package, highlighting the dangerous extent of these fraudulent claims.