Beware! Fraud ‘Baba’ moving in SUV on Bhubaneswar streets

Bhubaneswar: Think twice before allowing any 'babas' inside your homes and offices as they might actually be robbers in the guise of spiritual leaders. In one such incident, two 'babas' allegedly looted a gold ring and Rs 34,000 cash from a Bhubaneswar-based lawyer.

Interestingly on Sunday, the two 'babas' had come in an SUV and after winning confidence, they decamped with the gold and cash from the shop of the complainant Samarendra Sahu located at Niladri Vihar area.

“Initially, one baba arrived at my shop and asked that another baba from Haridwar wants to give me blessings. After I allowed them inside, they showed me some photographs and sought some money for some 'Bhandara.' As soon as I handed them a 500 rupee note, they converted it into ashes (bibhuti),” said Sahu.

“After that they asked me to eat the sacred bibhuti and I could not realize what was happening. Later, I found my ring and cash missing,” he added.

It is not for the first time that people have fallen prey to such fraudsters. Earlier, a woman from the same locality was also duped by a fake baba.

Though Chandrasekhar Police has initiated a probe, the statements of senior officials of Commissionerate Police could not be obtained.