Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Jun: Acting under the directions of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dehradun, Selaqui Police today arrested a self‑styled ‘Baba’ who duped people by instilling fear of misfortune and conducting fraudulent rituals. The accused, Rahul Thapa, resident of Telpura Atak Farm, Selaqui, was taken into custody after a complaint was lodged by Oshin Gurung of Shaheed Kishan Thapa Marg, Selaqui. She alleged that the accused had exploited superstition and deceit to steal her family’s jewellery amounting to 65 tolas of gold.
Investigations confirmed the allegations and a case was registered on 9 June under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Two police teams were constituted to probe the matter. On interrogation, Rahul Thapa admitted to having tricked the complainant by staging rituals and taking away her ornaments. Police recovered a 150‑gram gold bar made by melting the stolen jewellery and Rs 5 lakh in cash obtained from selling part of the ornaments.
Rahul Thapa revealed that he had been working as a priest since 2013, performing rituals and predicting the future, often receiving money when his claims appeared true. In recent months, driven by greed, he devised a plan to target wealthy followers. He would throw a bundle containing items associated with black magic outside their homes at night and later convince them that someone had cast a spell. He would then demand large sums of money for rituals to ward off the supposed misfortune.
In the case of Oshin Gurung, whom he knew personally and considered a distant relative, he exploited his knowledge of her family’s wealth. On 1 March, he threw a black cloth bundle containing pulses, vermilion, cloves and lemon outside her house. The next morning he called her, claiming to have sensed a spell, and asked her to check near the gate. He then visited her home, instructed her to place all jewellery in a box along with ritual items, and sent her and her mother away on a symbolic round of the house. Taking advantage of the moment, he removed the ornaments and left, telling them the box should remain sealed in a temple for 62 days.
The police stated that since the incident is nearly three months old, recovering the stolen property poses challenges, but added that further efforts would continue in full earnest to trace the remaining jewellery. Detailed investigation is underway into the accused’s modus operandi, his past crimes and possible accomplices.
