Bengaluru techie buys ‘jadi-booti’ for sexual health cure, ends up with kidney issues, ₹48 lakh loss

A Bengaluru software engineer lost ₹48 lakh and later developed kidney complications after seeking a supposed sexual-wellness remedy from a roadside tent run by a fake Ayurvedic practitioner. According to a complaint filed on Saturday with the Jnanabharathi police, the man experienced a sexual health issue after his marriage in 2023. He first consulted a multi-speciality hospital in Kengeri, near Bengaluru, The Hindu reported.

How did a roadside ‘Ayurvedic Dawakhana’ fool a tech worker?

On May 3, the victim spotted a makeshift ‘Ayurvedic Dawakhana’ near KLE Law College advertising a “quick cure” for sexual problems. Inside, a man calling himself ‘Vijay Guruji’ assured him of a permanent solution through what he described as “rare Ayurvedic medicines”.

He instructed the engineer to buy a product named ‘Devaraj Booti’ from Vijayalakshmi Ayurvedic Store in Yeshwantpur, claiming it came from Haridwar and cost ₹1.6 lakh per gram. The so-called practitioner also told him not to bring anyone along while purchasing it and insisted he pay only in cash.

How did the losses escalate to ₹48 lakh?

Trusting the claims, the techie bought the medicine. He was then persuaded to purchase another mixture labelled ‘Bhavana Booti Taila’, priced at ₹76,000 per gram. To fund the purchases, he borrowed ₹17 lakh from his wife and parents.

Soon after, ‘Vijay Guruji’ pressured him to buy additional quantities of ‘Devaraj Booti’, warning that the treatment would otherwise fail. The victim took out a bank loan of ₹20 lakh for more of the supposed cure. In total, he spent ₹48 lakh but saw no improvement.

Internet reacts with disbelief

Several social media users expressed shock at the incident. “Spent 48 lakh! On that Dawakhana!!! He deserves to be duped,” wrote Bengaluru-based cardiologist Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy.

Another X user commented, “I am shocked that nowadays educated people are falling for quakes and scams . Despite social media awareness and many people shouting about their own experiences, people get duped with such insane amounts. Never believe too good things that are offered in social media or outside.”