Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, witnessed a dramatic clash between fraud and vengeance after a tantrik’s tall tale of wealth creation crumbled. Vijay Kumar Raj promised four Korea district youths they could turn pennies into fortunes via mystical rituals. Instead, he pocketed their money, sparking a midnight showdown that escalated to theft and beatings.
Raj’s operation was slick. From his base in Bilha’s Sambalpuri village, he produced a video of a ritual with cash stacks and falling notes, shared widely to hook victims. The ploy worked on January 30 when the group arrived, forking over Rs 2.5 lakh amid a staged ceremony involving Raj, three women aides, and Rikhiram Navrang, husband of a local sarpanch.
Dawn broke on deceit when no riches appeared. Refunds were denied, fueling outrage. On January 31 night, as Raj paused at a Ratanpur dhaba in his car at 3:30 AM, the furious quartet arrived in two cars. They thrashed him thoroughly, snatching his vehicle, three phones, and Rs 8,000 before speeding away.
Swift police response followed. SSP Rajneesh Singh formed a special team, leveraging phone locations to nab the suspects in Surguja and Korea on February 2. Recovered items included the loot and assault vehicles—a Creta and Ertiga. The accused confessed to revenge-motivated robbery.
Deeper probes flipped the script: Raj was the real criminal, conning folks with bogus occult practices. A cheating FIR now targets him and his crew at Bilha police station, per ASP Madhulika Singh. This saga highlights how fake spiritual hustles exploit vulnerabilities, sometimes provoking desperate countermeasures in India’s heartland.