Kozhikode: The police on Thursday arrested a quack who cheated believers in the name of Arabi Manthrikam, claimed to be a magic healing method, and amassed crores of rupees. Kalarithodi Usman Muzaliyar, 47, a native of Periya, Wayanad, was arrested on a complaint by a woman alleging financial fraud to the tune of Rs 7 lakh and sexual abuse. Hundreds of believers were cheated by the fake healer and more complaints are expected in the coming days, police said.
Vadakara circle inspector Abdul Kareem told DC that the magic healer was arrested from his resort in Wayanad. After the arrest of controversial swami Santhosh Madhavan, the healer had changed his base to Udumalpett in Tamil Nadu. The man offered healing to everything, including family issues, chronic diseases and financial loss in trade. He has offices in Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.
He is well-versed in four languages, including Hindi, English and Urdu. Usman Muzaliyar also had established a detective agency in which even retired policemen were employed. He also appeared in a programme on the healing method 'Arabi Manthrikam' in a private channel for years. Though he has passed only SSLC, Muzaliyar had also bagged a PhD in spiritual healing from a university in Sri Lanka by spending Rs 50,000, according to police.
The total assets of the quack is estimated to be Rs 6 crore which includes a resort on a six- acre plot in Wayanad and a factory in Erumeli near Sabarimala. Muzaliyar was a special invitee at the venue when BJP leader Sobha Surendran led a hunger strike on the Sabarimala controversy.
The healer was produced at Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Vadakara, and remanded in judicial custody.
