Fake ‘Pir’ defrauds woman of Rs10 million, arrested in Islamabad

Police arrested an alleged fake ‘pir’ (faith healer) in the capital city for allegedly conning a widow into fraud of over Rs10 million, taken for exorcism, case expenses and other investments,  The Express Tribune reported.

Later on Monday, upon settlement with the complainant the suspect was released from jail after securing bail.

The woman got in touch with the faith healer, Amir Nadeem Alvi, after her husband died in 2014, to seek help for a case which she needed to file to secure her inheritance.

After taking the case in his hands, Alvi allegedly started drawing money from the widow. He firstly took RsI.8 million to pay the lawyer and another Rs1 million to ‘influence’ the decision.

On April 15, 2017, the fake pir approached the woman and demanded another Rs1 million to pay for the process associated with the case, warning that unless she paid, an FIR could be registered against her and her daughter.

He allegedly kept her unaware about the court rulings regarding the case proceedings in 2015.

The woman filed a complaint against Alvi after she contacted the lawyer who had been hired to plead her case in the court. The lawyer told the woman that Alvi had paid him only Rs30,000 while no money was used to influence the decision.

In her report, the woman stated that Alvi had allegedly taken Rs1.573 million to exorcise evil spirits and to ‘save’ her and her daughter; later he took Rs121,000 from her for charity (sadqa).

The suspect also allegedly took £17,800 from the woman to invest in a business, which also turned out to be a fraud.