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‘Godwoman’ promises to make Karnataka retiree ‘super millionaire’, dupes him of Rs 32 lakh
The woman allegedly promised to make him richer through rituals and falsely claimed he had won a lottery worth up to Rs 20 crore.
A 61-year-old retired man in Karnataka was allegedly defrauded of Rs 31.8 lakh by a self-proclaimed godwoman (Image generated using AI).
A 61-year-old retired man in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district was allegedly duped of Rs 31.8 lakh by a woman posing as a spiritual healer. The accused allegedly claimed she could multiply wealth through rituals and later tricked him with a fake lottery scheme.
According to the police, Suraj Hegde came across a pamphlet in October 2022 advertising the services of M M Vijayalaxmi. The self-proclaimed spiritual leader allegedly promised to resolve life, financial, and marital problems through rituals invoking Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kubera. Hegde contacted her, and the two met at a hotel in Mangaluru in early November 2022.
During the meeting, Vijayalaxmi assessed Hegde’s financial background and assured him that specific rituals could bring him daily prosperity and turn him into a “super millionaire”. On November 18, 2022, she visited his residence in Mysuru to solidify his trust.
The FIR states that the accused initially collected Rs 30,000 for puja materials. Weeks later, she convinced Hegde to transfer Rs 4.5 lakh to her bank account in January 2023 for a yaga and homa required to attract greater wealth.
When Hegde later pressed for updates on his financial prospects, Vijayalaxmi allegedly claimed he had won a Maharashtra state government lottery worth between Rs 2 crore and Rs 20 crore, but needed to pay taxes and processing charges to claim the prize money.
The police said Hegde transferred a total of Rs 26.8 lakh across four bank accounts held by the accused between November 2022 and February 2025.
In his complaint, Hegde also alleged that Vijayalaxmi took two gold ornaments from his home, pawning them for Rs 1.35 lakh near the KSRTC bus stand under the pretext of needing urgent cash. He further stated that the accused disoriented him during their interactions, rendering him unable to think clearly, and obtained his signatures on blank documents during this period.
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The police said Vijayalaxmi made a subsequent attempt to extort more money. In July 2025, she allegedly visited Hegde’s residence demanding Rs 1 crore in cash and an additional Rs 2 to 3 crore via demand draft, though Hegde refused to pay.
Following Hegde’s complaint, the Saraswathipuram police in Mysuru registered a case on August 3 under charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating, and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
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