A lawyer from Mira Road in Maharashtra's Thane district was allegedly duped of Rs 20 lakh by two men under the pretext of performing a ritual to double his money, police said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.

The incident occurred in CBD Belapur area of Navi Mumbai on July 22, in which the accused locked the victim inside the bedroom of a flat before sneaking out with his money, they said.

"The 42-year-old victim, a practising lawyer, came in contact with the accused persons - Premsingh Sadhu Maharaj (aged around 40) and Anant Ramchandra Narahari (65) - through a mutual acquaintance. Premsingh convinced the advocate that he possessed special spiritual powers and could invoke divine blessings to double his money through a sacred ritual," assistant police inspector Narayan Palampalle of CBD police station said, according to the PTI.