‘Black Magic’: Three Arrested for Cheating Pune Couple of Rs 13.20 Crore on Pretext of Curing Daughters’ Illness
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Kothrud, 7th November 2025: The Pune City Police have arrested three persons — Vedika Pandharpurkar, Kunal Pandharpurkar, and Deepak Khadke — from Nashik for allegedly cheating a Pune-based couple of Rs 13.20 crore under the guise of offering a cure for their daughters’ illness. The arrests were confirmed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Sambhaji Kadam.
According to police, a case was registered late Thursday (November 6) night at Kothrud Police Station against five individuals. The accused allegedly exploited the couple’s emotional distress, convincing them to sell their assets and transfer crores of rupees for so-called “spiritual healing.”
The complainant, Deepak Dolas (57), originally from Pune and formerly working as an IT engineer in England, returned to India in 2010 to seek treatment for his two daughters. In 2018, Dolas came in contact with Deepak Khadke through a local Bhajani Mandal. Khadke later introduced the couple to Vedika Pandharpurkar, who gained their confidence over time.
Vedika reportedly told the Dolas couple that their daughters’ illness was linked to their accumulated wealth and convinced them that only by giving up their property would the girls recover. Acting on her advice, the couple sold their duplex house in England, a farmhouse, and agricultural lands in Konkan and Saswad, transferring around Rs 14 crore to her accounts.
However, after the payments were made, there was no improvement in the daughters’ health. When the woman continued to demand more money and pressured the couple to sell another property, they realized they had been duped and approached the police.
The police have arrested the three main suspects, while two other accused remain under investigation. Further probe is underway to trace the flow of money and identify any additional accomplices involved in the scam.
