Priests targeted by conman in Bengaluru

In a shocking case of deception, the Rajajinagar police have arrested a notorious conman who allegedly targeted temple priests and their families under the guise of a wealthy businessman. The accused, identified as Praveen Bhat, was caught with stolen valuables worth around ₹15 lakh, including 116 grams of gold and 409 grams of silver ornaments.

According to police, the accused adopted a calculated strategy to gain the trust of priests at well-known temples across the city. Posing as a rich entrepreneur, he would frequently visit temples, offer prayers, and donate generous amounts of money. This helped him build credibility and establish close ties with priests over time.

Once he gained their confidence, Praveen would claim that he was inaugurating a new business and required a special pooja. He would then request the priests to send married women (muthaidheyaru) from their families to perform rituals. Trusting his intentions, some priests agreed and sent their wives or female relatives along with him.

Taking advantage of the situation, the accused would escort the women in an auto-rickshaw. During the journey, he would convince them to remove their gold jewellery, claiming that it was unsafe to wear ornaments at the ritual location .However, instead of taking them to the destination, he would abandon the women midway and flee with the valuables. Police investigations have revealed that he executed similar frauds in at least five cases across the city.