Soothsayer harasses Chennai-based family for money; police launch search

CHENNAI: The police have launched a search for a soothsayer who allegedly harassed a city woman and her elderly parents repeatedly demanding additional money from them through various phone numbers.

According to the police, the woman’s parents engaged the soothsayer to perform rituals to ward off the evil eye.

According to the complainant, S Kavitha (36), of T Nagar, her parents, Varadharaj (69), and Roopavathy (66), live near Maduranthagam in Kancheepuram district. To solve family issues, they resorted to a soothsayer to ward off evil spirits after coming across an advertisement on television.

Initially, the soothsayer took Rs 1,800 from Kavitha’s parents to buy articles for Pooja. He also persuaded the family to perform a special ritual at Kavitha’s home to ward off evil spirits and took Rs 13,200 from them after conducting a Pooja on April 30, the police said.

A few weeks later, the soothsayer again contacted the elderly couple and demanded Rs 4,000. However, they refused to give him the money, the police said. Meanwhile, the parents shifted to Kavitha’s house in the city for medical treatment, and on Tuesday, the soothsayer contacted the elderly couple from different phone numbers and verbally abused them.

Further investigations are under way.