Techie cheated Rs 48 lakh on the pretext of remedy for sexual health issue, develops kidney problems

BENGALURU: A techie was cheated of Rs 48 lakh in Bengaluru with the promise of a solution to a sexual health issue.

First, the techie went for treatment at a multi‑specialty hospital in Kengeri. On the way back from the hospital, he was taken to a tent treatment by an individual named Vijay Guruji, who promised treatment, and was cheated.

While giving the medicine, the Guruji allegedly threatened that if the techie did not return, further problems would arise.

Guruji gave the techie a drug called ‘Devaraj Booti.’ He set the price at Rs 1,60,000 per gram and said it must be bought only from an Ayurvedic shop in Yeshwantpur. He also imposed conditions that no online payment should be made and that no one should accompany him.

The techie purchased Devaraj Booti and Bhavana Booti oil several times, spending a total of Rs 17 lakh. When the problem was not resolved, he took loan of Rs 20 lakh from a bank and bought 18 grams of the mixture.

Later on, the techie developed other health problems and a blood test revealed that the Ayurvedic treatment had caused kidney problems. The techie filed a complaint against Vijay Guruji and the the Ayurvedic medical (shop) at the Jnanabharati police station.

An FIR has been registered by Southwest division of Bengaluru police against an alleged Ayurvedic guru and an Ayurvedic shop owner after a city-based software engineer reported being defrauded of nearly Rs 48 lakh and suffering kidney damage from purported herbal treatments.

The complaint, filed on November 22, names two accused – Vijay Guruji and the Owner of Vijayalaxmi Ayurvedic Shop in Yeshwantpur.

According to the FIR, the victim was lured on May 3, 2025, by a roadside Ayurvedic tent promising quick relief for sexual problems. The accused allegedly prescribed costly medicines such as Devaraj Booti (Rs 1.6 lakh per gram) and Bhavan Booti Taila (Rs 76,000 per gram), coercing repeated purchases under threats that treatment failure could endanger his life.

The FIR was registered under sections 123, 316(2), 318(4), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.