ISLAMABAD: Police have reportedly detained an alleged fake ‘pir’ (faith healer) who defrauded a widow by taking over Rs10 million in the name of performing an exorcism, ‘investment’ and other expenses.
However, the accused was able to secure bail, and thus released the other day after having settled with the complainant.
After the widow’s husband died in 2014, she approached the faith healer, Amir Nadeem Alvi, for a case she needed to file to secure her inheritance.
Alvi allegedly told the woman, a resident of Sector G-10, that he knew some people in the courts and would take care of her case.
He took RsI.8 million to pay the lawyer and another Rs1 million to ‘influence’ the decision. “He told me that the case was very complicated and difficult, and the judge would either dismiss it or rule against me,” the woman complained.
While the court ruled on the case in 2015, the suspect allegedly did not inform the woman about this development.
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.
Meanwhile, the woman 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.
Realising that she may have been defrauded, the woman filed a complaint against Alvi with the Ramna police.
In her report, the woman stated that Alvi had allegedly taken Rs1.573 million to exorcise evil spirits to ‘save’ her and her daughter.
Later, Alvi had approached the widow and allegedly told her that he saw her dead relatives in his dreams where they asked him to take 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 fake.
