HAVERI:A chilli trader from Haveri has allegedly duped a religious leader of a whopping `1 crore on the pretext of getting new denomination notes. To get the money back, the seer is now sitting on a dharna in front of the buyer’s house.
On Sunday, Dattatreya Awadoota Swami of Haveri began the dharna in front of Dadapeer Bhooshi’s house along with his supporters. Accused Bhooshi has disappeared after taking `1 crore from the seer, sources said.
The seer runs a small institute in Haveri and was planning to build a new ashram in Kundgol near Hubballi.
He had collected donations from devotees for the same reason. The seer was looking for a suitable land near Kundgol for his new ashram.
Bhooshi, a resident of Kanavalli village in Haveri taluk, runs Mehaboob Traders in Byadgi APMC yard.
On November 18, he received `1 crore in old denomination notes from the seer through a middleman named Jafar.
As the seer did not have any bank account, he agreed to give money to Bhooshi who reportedly promised to return `75 lakh in new denomination notes after deducting his commission of 25 per cent.
The seer said Bhooshi also promised him one acre land in Kundgol taluk of Dharwad district. Before disappearing, he remitted `15 lakh in the bank account of the seer’s relative.
Speaking to Express, the seer said when he demanded the remaining money, Bhooshi refused to pay the amount and now he is absconding.
“I am cheated. I want justice and Bhooshi should be punished,” he said.
Later, the seer approached a Muslim organisation and held discussions with them. The organisation asked Bhooshi to pay the rest of the money to the seer but he allegedly refused to do so.
Upset and irate Swamiji along with his supporters and DSS leader Parshuram Chennalli staged the protest in front of Bhooshi’s house on Saturday. Bhooshi’s family members left their home after the protest began. According Byadgi police, no compliant was registered by the seer in connection with the incident so far.