Woman loses Rs 4 lakh in occult-based reconciliation fraud

Vadodara: A 28-year-old fashion designing student from Karjan allegedly lost nearly Rs 4 lakh after being duped in a case involving promises to reunite her with her ex-boyfriend, police said.The woman filed a complaint at Sayajigunj police station against Jayant Vasava and Jayesh Patel for cheating.According to the complaint, she came in contact with Vasava last year after he sent her a friend request on Instagram. The two later began speaking over the phone and also met on several occasions.She told Vasava about her breakup and expressed her desire to get back with her former boyfriend. Vasava claimed he knew an occult practitioner who could perform rituals to help reunite her with her ex-partner.He initially demanded Rs 30,000 for the rituals, which she paid. However, he continued to demand additional money. When she expressed inability to pay further, Vasava allegedly persuaded her to take a loan through a mobile application.Police said Vasava allegedly continued to assure her that the rituals would yield results over several days, while also obtaining her gold ornaments. The ornaments were later pawned through Patel, the complaint stated.When neither the promised results nor her money and valuables were returned, the woman approached the police and lodged a complaint of cheating. The investigation is underway.