{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Balaghat gang that promised to hypnotise a sleeping family into silence lands 11 in police custody",
  "summary": "Police in Balaghat's Kholwa village have arrested 11 people, including an alleged tantrik and a social media influencer, for a nearly Rs 5 lakh house theft carried out under the guise of fake black magic and hypnosis claims.",
  "content": "Police in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district have cracked a gang that used fake claims of black magic and hypnotic spells to pull off house burglaries. The Baihar police station arrested 11 people in connection with a theft worth nearly Rs 5 lakh in Kholwa village, recovering Rs 1.90 lakh in cash from the accused so far, while questioning continues to trace the stolen jewellery.\n\nHow the Burglary Unfolded\nThe theft took place on July 10, when burglars broke the lock on the back door of Kamlesh Rahangdale's house in Kholwa and ransacked a cupboard, making off with cash, two mobile phones and jewellery worth around Rs 5 lakh in total. What stunned investigators was that six members of the family were sleeping in the very room where the burglary happened, yet none of them stirred.\n\nThe Investigation That Cracked the Case\nPolice scanned CCTV footage and enlisted the cyber cell's help, and their scrutiny led them to a woman named Shanti Tekam, who was taken into custody on suspicion. Her detention blew the lid off an elaborate gang that mixed technology with superstition. Investigators found that Sukhdev Meravi, a former driver who had once worked at the victim's house, had tipped off the gang about the large sum of cash kept there.\n\nWho Made Up the Gang\nThe group also included a social media influencer, Pankaj Rawde, and a man who called himself a tantrik, Jitendra Bijewar. Jitendra had convinced the others that he could use lemon, coconut and occult rituals to keep the sleeping household under his spell so that nobody would wake up during the burglary. Trusting this claim, the entire gang set out for Kholwa to carry out the theft.\n\nArrests and What Happens Next\nPolice arrested all 11 accused, including the driver, the tantrik, the woman and the influencer, and booked them under sections of the BNS. Five of the accused have been sent to police remand so that the remaining stolen jewellery can be recovered.\n\nPolice Appeal to the Public\nPolice have made it clear that there is no such thing as real black magic or hypnotic control. They have urged people not to fall for such superstition or self-styled godmen, and to stay away from crime altogether.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis case is a reminder that claims of black magic and hypnosis can be a cover for real fraud and crime.\n\n• Across India: People everywhere should be wary of self-styled tantriks and godmen who exploit superstition to enable theft or fraud.\n• In Balaghat: Residents should be careful about letting domestic staff or former employees know about cash and valuables kept at home, since it was a former driver who tipped off the gang in this case.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. When did the theft in Balaghat take place?\nThe theft took place on July 10 at Kamlesh Rahangdale's house in Kholwa village.\n\n2. How much was stolen in the burglary?\nThe burglars made off with cash, two mobile phones and jewellery worth around Rs 5 lakh in total.\n\n3. How many people has police arrested?\nPolice have arrested a total of 11 accused in the case.\n\n4. How much cash has police recovered so far?\nPolice have recovered Rs 1.90 lakh in cash from the accused.\n\n5. What did the gang's tantrik claim he could do?\nJitendra Bijewar, the alleged tantrik, claimed he could use lemon, coconut and occult rituals to keep the sleeping household under his spell so nobody would wake up.\n\n6. Who tipped off the gang about the cash?\nSukhdev Meravi, a former driver who had worked at the victim's house, tipped off the gang about the large sum of cash kept there.\n\n7. How did police crack the case?\nPolice used CCTV footage and cyber cell assistance to detain a suspected woman, Shanti Tekam, which led to the exposure of the entire gang.\n\n8. What is being done to recover the stolen jewellery?\nFive of the accused have been sent to police remand so the remaining stolen jewellery can be recovered.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/madhya-pradesh/balaghat-men-jhuthe-tntra-mntra-ke-dama-para-5-lakha-ki-chori-karane-vala-11-sadasyiya-giroha-pulisa-ke-hatthe-charha-9433",
  "category": "Madhya Pradesh",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-21",
  "tags": [
    "Balaghat theft",
    "black magic fraud",
    "Baihar police",
    "hypnosis gang",
    "Madhya Pradesh crime",
    "social media influencer"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}