Mumbai: A 31-year-old man has been booked by Mumbai police for allegedly defrauding two women of approximately ₹11 lakh by posing as a descendant of Prophet Mohammad. Mohsin Ali Abdul Sattar Qadari allegedly promised to double their gold jewelry and increase the flow of cash into their homes.

According to officials at the Mahim police station, the First Information Report (FIR) against Qadari was filed following a complaint by Ansar Ahmed Abdul Gani, a local resident.

The victims first encountered Qadari in 2022 at a 'Dargah' (a Muslim shrine) in South Mumbai. During their conversation, Qadari claimed to be a descendant of Prophet Mohammad and showed them a hair purported to belong to the Prophet. Subsequently, the brothers invited Qadari to their home in Mahim, where he arrived with a glass box containing the alleged hair.

After performing some rituals at their home, Qadari placed the glass box inside their wardrobe and locked it, instructing the brothers not to open it until he returned. Days later, he returned while the brothers were away and met with their wives. He instructed the women to place all of their jewelry near the box, promising that it would double in a few days and bring more money into their home.

As per Qadari's instructions, the women placed their jewelry near the box, after which he asked them to step outside to allow him to perform some rituals. As soon as the women left the house, the accused allegedly stole approximately ₹11 lakh worth of jewelry from the wardrobe and fled.

The fraud was discovered a few days later when the women narrated the incident to their husbands. Upon contacting Qadari, he confessed to selling the stolen jewelry due to financial problems. Gani then filed a complaint, leading to the registration of an FIR against the accused under various sections for cheating.