Fake Parrot Astrologer Dupes Bengaluru IT Officer of ₹20 Lakh, Arrested

A man posing as a parrot astrologer has been arrested for allegedly cheating an Income Tax officer and duping him of gold and silver worth over Rs 20 lakh. The Bharathinagar police have recovered a significant portion of the stolen property following a detailed investigation.

According to police, the complainant, a resident of Shivan Chetty Garden under Bharathinagar Police Station limits in Bengaluru, stated that he was approached near Sri Circle by the accused, who claimed to be a parrot astrologer. The accused, identified as 59-year-old Shekar, allegedly convinced the officer that he could predict his future by reading his face and offered to perform special rituals.

Initially, the accused collected Rs 50,000 from the complainant. He later contacted him again, claiming that a grand ritual was necessary for career growth, transfer, and overall life improvement. The accused allegedly instilled fear by warning of negative consequences if the rituals were not performed. Under this pretext, he collected gold ornaments weighing 194 grams and silver articles weighing around 1.3 kilograms, promising to return them after the rituals.

However, when the complainant demanded the return of his valuables, the accused allegedly threatened him with dire consequences. Based on the complaint, a cheating case was registered at Bharathinagar Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including Sections 316(2), 318(4), 351(2) and 352.

During the investigation, police gathered credible information and apprehended the accused near Cantonment Railway Station. During interrogation, he confessed to committing the crime with the intention of making easy money.

He was produced before the court and was sent to five-day police custody. During sustained questioning, the accused revealed that he had sold the stolen gold and silver items at a jewellery shop in Halasuru.

Acting on this information, police conducted a recovery operation on March 15 and seized 124 grams of gold ornaments and 796 grams of silver articles from the shop. The total value of the recovered property is estimated at Rs 20.60 lakh.

The accused was again produced before the court on March 17 and has been remanded to judicial custody.

Police said the accused, Shekar, is a resident of Vadipatty village, Periyakulam in Theni district of Tamil Nadu. Further investigation is underway.