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Kashi Temple Scam: Fake Priests Fleece Devotees
20 Aug
Summary
- Five individuals arrested near Kashi Vishwanath Temple for fraud.
- Accused posed as priests, promising 'sugam' darshan for money.
- Arrests made after complaints and verification of suspicious activity.
Chowk police in Varanasi apprehended five individuals near Gate No. 4 of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. These individuals were allegedly defrauding devotees by accepting money with promises of expedited "sugam" darshan during the busy Shrawan season.
Complaints indicated that some persons, dressed as priests, were active in the Godowlia, Chowk, and Maidagin areas. They purportedly misled pilgrims, collecting funds for purported VIP or easy access. Following an investigation involving CCTV footage and plainclothes personnel, the suspects were identified and detained near the temple entrance.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Lal Babu Pandey, Ashish Pandey, Dilip Pandey, Yash Dubey, and Sushil Kumar Das. Their origins span Deoria, Varanasi, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), and Darbhanga (Bihar). Police are investigating further to determine if any local temple staff or priests were complicit in this alleged scheme.
