Two individuals have been arrested for allegedly cheating devotees at the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik by offering a fraudulent 'quick darshan' service, highlighting the importance of vigilance against religious scams.
Key Points
- Two individuals booked for allegedly cheating devotees at Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik.
- Devotees were charged ₹3,000 for 'quick darshan' instead of using the official ₹200 donation pass.
- Accused promised and delivered expedited darshan within 10 minutes, bypassing the regular queue.
- Police action followed complaints and directions from a district sessions judge regarding similar scams.
- One suspect has been arrested, while efforts are underway to apprehend the other.
Two persons were booked for allegedly cheating devotees at the renowned Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik district, a police official said on Sunday.
The devotees were made to pay Rs 3,000 for "quick darshan", while the stipulated process involves buying a Rs 200 donation 'darshan pass', he said.
"The incident took place on Saturday with two devotees who had come from Panchvati. They had taken the Rs 200 pass but the accused told them their turn would come after 4-5 hours due to the long queue. The accused took Rs 3000 and ensured the devotees got darshan in 10 minutes," the official said.
Legal Action and Investigation
Based on a complaint by the devotees, since they were not given receipts for the amount, Gotiram Manaji Peher and Abhishek Kadlag were booked under Bharatiya Naya Sanhita for cheating and other offences, the Trimbakeshwar police station official said.
Pehre has been arrested, while efforts are on to nab Kadlag, who is on the run, the official added.
The action was taken on the directions of principal district sessions judge RA Rokde, who had received such complaints about cheating of devotees in the name of quick darshan, the official said.
Devotees must contact police if they encounter such issues, he added.
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