AHMEDABAD: Three men abducted and assaulted a self-styled god-man in Ahmedabad; all three were arrested soon after. The kidnap attempt followed a failed marriage engagement.
Haresh Thakor, originally from Pirojpur village in Patan and residing in Thakkarnagar area of Ahmedabad, remained unmarried for years, despite repeated efforts by his family.
The Thakor family longed to see their son engaged. The family came in contact with Nath Bawa Chhagannath, a sadhu from Rajasthan, whose father-in-law was known locally for ritual practices resolve such issues.
According to police, the sadhu promised that a special ceremony would “remove obstacles” in Haresh’s engagement. “He convinced the family that only a detailed ritual would work,” an investigator said.
What followed was months of rituals and a steady drain of money. By the time it ended, the Thakor family had spent nearly Rs 1.60 lakh.
However, the engagement never happened. Faith turned into anger. Hope turned into rage.
Feeling cheated and humiliated, Haresh Thakor, along with Naresh and Talaji Thakor, decided to settle the score.
On December 30, the three accused allegedly abducted Nath Bawa Chhagannath from Ahmedabad. He was forcibly pushed into a car and driven to Shankheshwar in Patan district. There, in a secluded area, he was assaulted and confined.
“The accused believed they had been duped and wanted their money back,” a Crime Branch officer said. “But instead of approaching the police, they chose kidnapping.”
The accused then contacted the sadhu's family and demanded Rs four lakh as ransom, threatening dire consequences if the money was not paid.
The sadhu's family approached Kagdapith Police Station in Ahmedabad and filed a complaint.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch launched an immediate operation.
Technical surveillance, call tracking and local intelligence were activated simultaneously. Within hours, the digital trail led investigators straight to Patan district.
Crime Branch teams raided the Shankheshwar area and arrested all three accused Haresh Thakor, Naresh Thakor and Talaji Thakor.
“The victim was rescued safely,” police confirmed. “Prompt action prevented a far more serious outcome.”
During preliminary interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that their intention was to recover the money spent on rituals and “teach the sadhu a lesson.”
“Kidnapping and ransom, regardless of motive, is a grave offence,” a police officer said.
Strict sections have been invoked against the three accused.
Meanwhile, police are also probing the other side of the story: whether Nath Bawa Chhagannath was genuinely involved in fraudulent rituals and whether similar complaints exist against him from other victims.
Ahmedabad Police have issued a clear warning: in cases of suspected fraud, citizens must turn to the law not take it into their own hands.