‘Godman’ held for robbing doctor’s ornaments, cash

Hyderabad: A “godman” was arrested for cheating a doctor and fleeing with her gold ornaments and cash. The accused, E. Maruthi Ram Sharma, who claimed to be an astrologer and a spiritual leader, drugged the victim during a puja and stole her gold ornaments weighing 710 gm, as well as some cash.

The Central Zone police arrested Ram Sharma following a complaint from the doctor.

Cops said the accused was running an establishment — Sri Raghavendra Jyothishyalaya — at his residence in Adikmet. The victim, Dr Shailaja, a resident of Barkatpura, was suffering from depression. Since she had faith in astrology she approached the accused.

“Initially, she approached him to check her horoscope. Ram Sharma took 170 gm gold and Rs 57,000 in cash under the pretext of performing the Kalasha puja. On February 18, he visited Dr Shailaja’s house and took another gold ornament weighing 20 gm and a rare ancestral rudraksha mala to perform the puja,” said Central Zone DCP Kamalasan Reddy.

Later, he visited her house again with some holy water and prasadam. “He asked her to eat the prasadam. But as soon as she consumed it, she fell unconscious. He then took her jewellery box containing 528 gm gold ornaments and Rs 1.50 lakh in cash and fled,” said the DCP.

The accused sold some gold ornaments at Charminar and pledged the remaining gold items in different jewellery shops. He also purchased a laptap and a Santro car with the money.

Police recovered 450 gm gold ornaments, 10 gm silver coin, one Santro car and one laptop from his possession.