`Tantrik’ held for cheating

According to the police Deepak Gopal Mitra alias Deepak Baba (30) has been practising black magic for the past two decades. With the help of two of his students, Mitra kidnapped the girls on December 26. His students Sharif Mohammad Kayam Sheikh (23) and Sanjay Vishwakarma (25) are alleged to have had close relationships with the girls. They are absonding.

The police say that the two girls, students of SNDT junior college, were last seen on December 26, on their way to college.

Premnath Kaalaprasad , father of one of the girls became suspicious and aware of the close friendship with Mitra’s students, approached Mitra.

Kamlaprasad was asked to cough up Rs 20,000 to know the whereabouts of the girls. He then registered a complaint with the Dindoshi police station.

Sub-Inspector Dilip Jadhav, the investigating officer after investigations raided the residence of Mitra in Kurad Village. Speaking to Newsline Jadhav said that Mitra is unemployed and has been collecting money by cheating people.

Jadhav said "people believe he is a magician and have blind faith in him. Actually he is a con man.”

In fact ex-Shakha Pramukh, Kurtika Shirke, was also a victim to his misdeeds. She had appraoched him for the treatment of her ailing brother. Mitra had demanded Rs 35,000 for the treatment.

A few months later when there was no improvement in her brother’s health, Shirke had demanded her money back. But Mitra had flatly refused.

She had then registered a case with the police against him for cheating.

Police say Mitra has amassed huge amounts of money from his victims and has bought a posh flat worth Rs 17 lakh and an imported car worth Rs 23 lakh.

At present the `magician’ is cooling his heels in prison in custody of the Dindoshi police station. A hunt is on for his two missing students.