Mumbai: Observing that custodial interrogation is necessary to unearth the money trail and recover defrauded gold ornaments, a sessions court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of an astrologer accused of cheating a woman of Rs 69.30 lakh under the false promise of curing her sister’s cancer.
An FIR was registered at the Tilak Nagar Police Station against the applicant, Rajshekhar Shashtri, and his co-accused brother, Adityanath alias Babu Guruji, who operated an astrology business in Chembur.
Additional Sessions Judge RM Jadhav noted that the defrauded sum of Rs 69.30 lakh is an “exorbitant amount” that “could not be for professional services”.
According to the prosecution, between June 2025 and June 2026, the complainant approached the accused after seeing roadside posters guaranteeing a “100% solution” to problems. Seeking help for her sister’s cancer, the complainant was promised a complete cure and was induced to deliver cash, online transfers, and gold ornaments for a puja. The accused allegedly promised to return the gold after the religious rituals but failed to do so, nor was the sister’s illness cured.
