India, March 20 -- When police discovered a white Tata hatchback parked on the service lane of Delhi's Peeragarhi flyover on February 8, a routine check led to a shocking discovery - three dead bodies inside, with no immediate link between the victims. Investigators soon found themselves in the middle of one of the most intriguing multi-state investigations centreing on a 72-year-old former bangle trader who, they discovered, was the alleged mastermind of an occult racket blending superstition and psychology, and suspected in multiple deaths over four decades.

The prime suspect in the case was identified as Kamruddin, a Firozabad native who now stands accused of running a sprawling occult network. Despite being previously accused in at l...