Seven individuals, including a self-proclaimed spiritual guru, Yogendra Baba, have been arrested for allegedly defrauding four people of Rs28 lakh in a religious scam in Visakhapatnam district’s Anandapuram mandal. The accused were apprehended after a detailed investigation, with the main suspect, Paidipati Venkata Bhargav Raghava (35), using the pseudonym Yogendra Baba, reportedly convincing the victims that they would receive a golden locket through special religious rituals.
The scam involved the victims being lured into believing that participating in specific rituals led by Yogendra Baba would result in the delivery of a precious golden locket. The fraudsters took advantage of the victims’ faith, extorting a large sum of money under the false pretenses of religious blessings and spiritual offerings.
Circle Inspector Vasu Naidu addressed the media, explaining how the gang exploited the victims’ trust to perpetrate the scam. The police are now investigating the full extent of the operation and looking into whether there are more victims involved in the fraud.
