Rice Baba, jailed in rape case, now accused of cheating Noida doctor of Rs 40 lakh

Self-styled godman, Narendra Nayan Shastri, is facing a cheating probe after Noida's Dr Rishabh Chaubey accused him of exploiting his brother's mysterious death.

In Short

• Doctor allegedly paid for rituals, vehicle, travel and personal expenses
• Raipur Police investigate financial transactions and fraud allegations
• Accused already lodged in Mahasamund Jail in separate rape case

A self-styled spiritual leader popularly known as "Rice Baba" has been booked by Raipur Police after a Noida-based doctor accused him of allegedly cheating him of nearly Rs 40 lakh by exploiting his emotional distress following his younger brother's mysterious death.

The accused, Narendra Nayan Shastri, is already lodged in Madhya Pradesh’s Mahasamund Jail in connection with a separate rape case, while police have launched an investigation into the fresh allegations of cheating and criminal deception.

According to the complaint, Dr Rishabh Chaubey approached Shastri after his younger brother died under mysterious circumstances in Indore in August 2024.

Searching for answers and spiritual guidance, the doctor met the self-proclaimed godman in Raipur, where Shastri allegedly claimed he possessed supernatural powers that could reveal the truth behind the death.

Police said the accused gradually won the doctor's trust before allegedly telling him that evil forces had targeted his family and that his children were also under supernatural influence.

Investigators alleged that Shastri convinced the doctor that elaborate religious rituals and ceremonies were necessary to protect his family from impending danger, leading to repeated financial transactions over several months.

During the investigation, police found that between October 2024 and early 2026, the complainant allegedly transferred nearly Rs 20 lakh into Shastri's bank account after being told the money was needed to purchase a luxury vehicle.

The doctor also claimed to have paid another Rs 10 lakh in cash for rituals and spent nearly Rs 10 lakh more on the accused's travel, accommodation and other personal expenses, taking the alleged fraud to around Rs 40 lakh.

After suspecting he had been misled, Dr Chaubey lodged a complaint at a police station in Raipur.

An FIR has since been registered, and investigators are examining bank transactions, financial records and other evidence to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud.

Known across Chhattisgarh as "Rice Baba", Shastri built a significant following through religious discourses and public events, claiming he could reveal a person's past, present and future using rice grains and flowers.

Police are expected to seek his custody for questioning in the cheating case and are also probing whether other devotees may have been similarly duped.

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