A tantrik’s dream of endless riches for clients turned into a nightmare of violence in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. Self-styled mystic Vijay Kumar Raj, 48, duped four young men with a fabricated video of money raining down during a tantric puja. The Rs 2.5 lakh they lost in the con boiled over into a brutal revenge plot just days later.
Operating from Sambalpuri village in Bilha, Raj and his team—three women and sarpanch spouse Rikhiram Navrang—masterminded the January 30 ritual. The viral clip showed cash piles blessed with coconuts and incense, fooling the Korea youths into believing in miraculous multiplication.
Betrayal hit hard when promises evaporated. Demands for money back were ignored, setting the stage for retaliation. Around 3:30 AM on February 1, at a roadside dhaba near Ratanpur, Raj’s car halt became his undoing. The victims, arriving in Creta and Ertiga SUVs, beat him savagely and fled with his car, three mobiles, and Rs 8,000 cash.
Bilaspur police, directed by SSP Rajneesh Singh, launched a high-tech chase using mobile data. By February 2, all four were in custody from Surguja and Korea districts, with full recovery of stolen goods and getaway cars.
Confessions painted a revenge picture, but twists emerged: Raj was no victim but a serial fraudster using superstition for scams. ASP Madhulika Singh registered a Bilha FIR for cheating against him and accomplices. As India grapples with rising occult frauds, this case serves as a stark reminder of the thin line between faith and felony.