Man files FIR after giving away jewellery 'under spell'

Police are investigating a complaint from a resident of Shadbagh that he was allegedly hypnotised by a spiritual healer who made off with jewellery worth Rs6 million and expensive mobile phones from his hone.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at Shadbagh Police Station under Section 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for cheating, the complainant Muhammad Asif, 45, stated that the unidentified man came to his home and claimed that he could resolve people's personal and financial troubles through spiritual means.

"The man offered to perform a ritual to ward off my problems, He fed me some sugar and began reciting unfamiliar words. Suddenly, I felt disoriented and didn't understand what was happening," the complainant stated.

Asif claimed that he handed over valuable items from his home in that condition, including two phones worth Rs165,000 and gold jewellery with an estimated value of Rs6 million.

The jewellery included necklaces, rings, and bangles belonging to his family.

The complainant also claimed that he not only surrendered the valuables but also dropped the fraudster on his motorcycle at a nearby location in ST Town.

"When I came to my senses, I saw that my gold and phones were gone. The man had vanished, and I had no memory of why I had given everything away," he stated in the FIR. He immediately approached the police, providing detailed descriptions of the items taken away.

Shadbagh police said they had initiated an investigation into the matter.

Police teams were reviewing surveillance camera footage from the area and tracing the stolen phones.

Similar cases have been reported in the past across Punjab, where fraudsters posing as 'amils' swindled victims out of cash and valuables.