Man duped of Rs 12 lakh in fake Ayurvedic treatment scam in Karkala

Mangalore Today News Network

Karkala, May 6, 2026: A 68-year-old man from Belman village was allegedly cheated of over Rs 12 lakh by fraudsters who promised a cure for his ailing wife through Ayurvedic treatment within the Karkala Rural Police Station limits.

The complainant, Ronald Rodrigues, said his wife Rosy was suffering from cancer and paralysis. On March 23, while visiting a hospital in Manipal for her physiotherapy, he came into contact with a man identified as Siddarth, who claimed to be from near a temple in Kadiyali.

Gaining his trust, Siddarth said his own mother had recovered from a similar illness and provided the contact of another person, Madhav, for treatment. Ronald was then persuaded to transfer money in phases towards medical expenses.

Acting on their instructions, he sent money via Google Pay to a bank account held by Anil Pawar. He also withdrew Rs 40,000 from an ATM and handed it over to Siddarth in person the same day.

Subsequently, the accused called him to an Ayurvedic shop in Udupi, where another individual named Anil was introduced. Believing their claims, Ronald issued four cheques from his HDFC Bank account, totalling Rs 10.8 lakh, towards medicines.

Despite the payments, his wife’s condition showed no improvement. When he later tried to contact the accused, their phones were switched off.

Ronald has alleged that he was cheated of Rs 12,09,160 under the guise of treatment. Based on his complaint, a case has been registered at Karkala Rural Police Station, and an investigation is underway.