Father-son duo Altaf and Musa of Gujarat pose as Hindu tantrics, extort lakhs from devotees by performing fake rituals

Case ID : c7b8baf | Location : Gir Somnath, Gujarat, India | Date of Incident : Sun, 14 May, 2023

Case ID : c7b8baf

Gir Somnath, Gujarat, India

14 May, 2023

Father-son duo Altaf and Musa of Gujarat pose as Hindu tantrics, extort lakhs from devotees by performing fake rituals

Hate speech against Hindus

Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith

Case Summary

In Gir Somnath, Altaf and Musa, residents of Talala, engaged in fraudulent quasi-tantric rituals that duped Hindu devotees, promising them vast wealth. Harishbhai Sadhu from Rajkot became a victim when Altaf, befriending him two years ago, exploited his financial constraints in running an ashram. Altaf falsely claimed that his father, Moosa Bapu, received a divine vision from a goddess, promising to accumulate Rs 500 crores through tantric rituals. The father-son duo, along with associates, deceived Harishbhai in a fabricated ritual, constructing a makeshift sacred kunda where Altaf chanted mantras. They manipulated Harishbhai into believing in the presence of 'Mataji' (Goddess), represented by a bamboo pole adorned with clothing. Abu Musa, impersonating Mataji, coerced Harishbhai into providing Rs 5 lakh worth of worship materials as an offering. The victims were led to believe that rituals would yield Rs 500 crores, further perpetuated by empty promises and elaborate deceptions. Subsequently, Musa exploited Harishbhai's trust by fabricating a need for additional offerings, and later, an empty oil vial was presented as evidence of a malevolent spirit's intervention. The victims were then coerced into procuring a 'virgin girl's skull' and paying Rs 3 lakh for its acquisition, under the guise of performing final rituals. However, police intervention exposed the fraud, as Musa and Altaf were apprehended while attempting to carry out the final ceremony. Musa's confession revealed a history of fraudulent activities, including swindling individuals through similar deceptive schemes, promising immense wealth through rituals involving supernatural entities like 'Mataji.' The police have taken legal action against Musa Hazi Sama, his son Altaf Musa Sama, Sagarita Sikander Shamdar, Abdul alias Vakil, Abdul Ismail Majgul, Imtiaz Sama, Nazim Rafai, Jagdish, Deepak, and Vajesang under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category chosen is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith- Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. The actions of Altaf and Musa, who posed as Hindu tantriks to extort large sums of money from devotees through fraudulent rituals, are a clear case of mocking Hindu faith and exploiting its sacred traditions. By disguising themselves as spiritual figures, they took advantage of the deep-rooted trust Hindus place in religious rituals, deceiving vulnerable devotees seeking spiritual guidance or relief. This act not only disrespects the sanctity of Hindu practices but also highlights an underlying contempt for the religion, as they deliberately chose to exploit its customs for personal gain. Such behavior reflects animosity toward the faith by reducing its revered spiritual traditions to mere tools for deception and financial manipulation, eroding the trust and respect that devotees have for genuine religious figures and rituals. As such, this case has been added to the hate tracker.