BENGALURU: A 29-year-old software engineer, depressed about not having a child and disappointed with his allopathic medical treatment, approached a roadside tent run by a self-styled ‘Ayurvedic guru’ who promised him a quick cure. But at the end of it all, he had lost Rs 48 lakh and had ruined his kidneys after consuming the herbal products that were prescribed to him.
He continued with the Ayurvedic treatment for three to four months as the guruji threatened him that his condition would get worse if he did not continue with the medicines.
The victim, Akhilesh (name changed), a resident of Basaveshwarnagar and hailing from Shivamogga, got married to a woman from Davanagere three years ago. As they did not have any children, he visited a private hospital in Kengeri for infertility treatment on May 3. Doctors conducted all necessary tests, offered him advice and prescribed medication.
When he did not see any results, he slipped into depression, which was compounded by his inability to share his trauma with others. One day, while returning from the hospital, he noticed an Ayurvedic tent near KLE Law College that advertised itself as providing “quick solutions for sexual problems”.
When he went inside, an attendant introduced Akhilesh to a man identified as Vijay Guruji, who assured him of immediate results and prescribed 1 gm of a herbal product called Devaraj Bhooti. The guruji claimed that it was procured from Haridwar and was available only at Vijayalakshmi Ayurvedic Shop in Yeshwanthpur. He instructed Akhilesh to pay only in cash, avoid online transactions and not to bring anyone along.
Techie took loan to buy medicines
Akhilesh purchased the medicine for Rs 1.6 lakh per gram and later bought a specially prescribed oil, Bhavana Bhooti Taila, for Rs 76,000 per gram. He borrowed money from his family to pay Rs 17 lakh for the medicines. The guruji later told him to buy three more packets of Devaraj Bhooti powder, claiming the earlier treatment would not work without it.
Akhilesh took a bank loan of Rs 20 lakh and purchased 18 gm of the powder. He also bought 4 gm of Devaraj Rasabhooti, another concoction, paying Rs 10 lakh at Rs 2.6 lakh per gram. He also borrowed money from his friend to make the purchase.
In all, he had paid Rs 48 lakh in cash to the Ayurvedic shop in Yeshwanthpur, following the treatment suggested by the guruji. The Ayurvedic medicines too seemed not to help as he still did not have a child coming along the way.
He then confronted the guruji, who allegedly pressured him to buy more products and threatened him that his condition would get worse or become life-threatening if he discontinued the treatment. Getting suspicious, Akhilesh underwent medical tests which revealed that the Ayurvedic medicines had seriously damaged his kidneys.
Akhilesh then approached the Jnanabharathi police and filed a complaint on Saturday, accusing Vijay Guruji and the owner of Vijayalakshmi Ayurvedic Medicine Shop of cheating, administering him harmful substances and causing severe health complications. A manhunt has been launched to nab the accused, who are absconding.