Amid the Sawan rush at Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a Karnataka woman allegedly fell prey to a fake ‘VIP darshan’ racket and lost Rs 4,000 to a man posing as a priest.
Amid the Sawan rush at Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a Karnataka woman allegedly fell prey to a fake ‘VIP darshan’ racket during her pilgrimage and lost Rs 4,000 to a man posing as a priest. However, a police officer swiftly tracked down the accused, recovered the money and ensured the family completed their temple visit.
With lakhs of devotees thronging the Kashi Vishwanath Temple—one of the twelve Jyotirlingas—on the first Monday of Sawan, the massive crowds also created an opportunity for fraudsters looking to exploit anxious pilgrims hoping to avoid hours-long queues.
The victim, Nandini from Karnataka’s Mysuru, had travelled to Varanasi with her husband Vinayak and two others to seek blessings at the revered shrine. As they struggled with the long wait for darshan, they were allegedly approached near the temple by a man dressed as a priest who claimed he could arrange quick entry for the group.
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Believing his assurance, Nandini transferred Rs 4,000 online for darshan for all four devotees. Moments after receiving the payment, the alleged conman disappeared without a trace, leaving the family desperately searching for him around the temple premises.
Realising they had been duped, Nandini approached Inspector Shivakant Mishra of Sigra police station, who was deployed nearby on Sawan security duty. Taking immediate note of the complaint, the officer launched a search operation to trace the suspect.
Police soon located the accused, identified as Basant Pandey, and recovered the money allegedly taken from the woman. The entire amount was subsequently returned to Nandini.
A video from the incident showed Inspector Shivakant assuring the distressed family that he would ensure they received darshan. The officer later arranged for Nandini, her husband and the two others accompanying them to visit the temple without further difficulty.
Inspector Shivakant later said that apart from helping the family recover their money, he also made arrangements for their darshan so they could complete their pilgrimage without further trouble.