AHMEDABAD: A chilling cyber extortion racket operating under the disguise of astrology and spiritual healing has been busted by the Gujarat Cyber Crime Police.
It exposed how fake gurus trapped the victims through social media, forced them into explicit video calls, blackmailed with morphed photos and nude recordings.
The probe has now uncovered transactions worth nearly Rs 60 lakh involving over 65 victims.
In a major crackdown on rising online exploitation, Gujarat’s Cyber Crime Police has launched an aggressive statewide operation titled “Mission Cyber Rakshika #SecureHerSpace”, aimed at protecting women from digital predators, cyber blackmail, deepfake abuse, and social media extortion rackets.
However, investigators unearthed a disturbing cyber syndicate that preyed on emotional vulnerability in the name of astrology, love solutions, and spiritual rituals.
The case includes serious charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act, exposing a well-organised online blackmail operation that allegedly manipulated victims through fear, shame, and psychological pressure.
According to investigators, the accused operated fake Instagram accounts under the name 'astrologer_pooja_kinnar_maa', presenting as a powerful astrologer and Kinnar Guruma capable of solving relationship disputes, marriage troubles, love failures, and personal issues.
The trap started as emotional conversations, spiritual advice, and promises of 'vashikaran rituals', but soon turned into a calculated cyber extortion racket.
Police revealed that once victims fell under their influence, the accused demanded photographs in the name of rituals and worship procedures.
The images were then digitally edited and weaponised as a tool for blackmail. Victims were allegedly threatened that their morphed photographs would be made viral on social media if they refused to obey further instructions.
The racket also used WhatsApp video calls to blackmail the victims. Investigators say they were manipulated and pressured into appearing nude on camera during so-called ritual sessions.
The accused allegedly recorded the screens during these calls and later used the videos to extort money by threatening public circulation across social media platforms.
Cyber officials stated that the accused also used disappearing 'One View' media features to send explicit content and intensify psychological intimidation.
Using technical surveillance, digital tracking, and human intelligence, the Cyber Crime Branch traced the operation deep into Rajasthan.
During the investigation, accused Rajnish Govindlal Bhargav was arrested from Bikaner and another key accused Vikas Pokhraj Bhargav was held in Jaipur.
Police produced Vikas Bhargav before the court, where investigators secured four days’ remand to probe a wider financial and digital network.
During scrutiny of bank transactions, cyber officials discovered financial activity worth nearly Rs 60 lakh was routed through different accounts linked to the accused over the last two years.
Investigators also found that nearly 300 mobile numbers had been contacted within just one month, indicating an aggressive and systematic targeting campaign.
The investigation further exposed the accused’s sophisticated use of social media marketing tools.
Police revealed that the gang allegedly used Instagram’s paid ad boosting system to specifically target users aged between 18 and 35 years.
Online advertisements were strategically pushed toward people expressing interest in astrology, love issues, relationships, and spiritual solutions, allowing the accused to identify emotionally vulnerable targets with precision.
Cyber Crime officials described the case as a dangerous example of how criminals are now blending social engineering, digital manipulation, AI-edited imagery, and psychological exploitation to run highly organised online extortion rackets.
Under 'Mission Cyber Rakshika,' Gujarat Cyber Police has now intensified awareness drives against fake social media identities, AI-morphed content, deepfake videos, online blackmail, and cyber exploitation, while urging citizens, especially women and young social media users, to remain alert against online healers, astrologers, and anonymous digital profiles promising miracle solutions to personal problems.
