Occultist held for killing 3 with poisoned ‘ladoos’ in name of ‘dhanvarsha’

New Delhi: An occult practitioner has been arrested for allegedly killing three people here by feeding them poison-laced “ladoos” in the name of performing a ritual promising ‘dhanvarsha’, a windfall, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Kamruddin alias Baba, a resident of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, was operating a so-called tantric centre in Loni and Firozabad and was wanted in two different murder cases registered in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

“He was apprehended following a detailed technical and field investigation. He was involved in a well-planned conspiracy to eliminate the victims and rob them of cash and valuables,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sachin Sharma said.

The officer said Kamruddin lured his targets by promising them a windfall gain through ‘tantric’ rituals. After gaining their confidence, he allegedly administered to them poison mixed in ladoos and made them have liquor and soft drinks before fleeing with their money once they fell unconscious.

“The case came to light on February 8 when a PCR call was received at Paschim Vihar East Police Station regarding three people, including a woman lying unconscious inside a car,” the officer said.

A police team rushed to the spot and found an elderly man, aged around 76, seated in the driver’s seat, a 42-year-old man who had been taken out of the vehicle by passersby, and a woman, around 40, lying inside the car.

“All three were shifted to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead. During inspection of the vehicle, police recovered liquor bottles, cold drink bottles, empty glasses, mobile phones, cash, helmets, jackets, Aadhaar cards and other personal belongings and documents,” Sharma said.

The three were identified as Randhir (76), a resident of Baprola, Shiv Naresh (42), a property dealer from Nagli Dairy, and Laxmi (40), a resident of Jahangirpuri, he said.

Family members of the deceased ruled out suicide and expressed suspicion over the circumstances of their deaths, prompting police to initiate an investigation.

The police said technical surveillance and call detail record analysis revealed that all three were in contact with Kamruddin in the days leading up to the incident and had visited Loni in Ghaziabad – first on the day before the incident, and then again on the day they were found dead. Police found a fourth person in the car — identified as Kamruddin — who allegedly boarded it in Loni and later abandoned it. During questioning, he admitted luring the victims with a ‘dhanvarsha’ ritual, feeding them poison-laced sweets and fleeing with Rs 2 lakh. CCTV and electronic evidence confirmed his presence.