UP Police in Muzaffarnagar busted a 'fake Baba' gang, arresting seven men who posed as Hindu sadhus. The gang used fake identities and Aadhaar cards to extort money from people for seven years by promising to solve their problems.
Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested six members of a fake Baba gang, who have been misleading innocent people by wearing Hindu attire. They were extorting money from superstitious people by promising them to get rid of their problems using "tantrik" rituals for the past seven years.
The fraudulent were residing in the rented homes in Mirapur and Kakaroli police station areas of Muzaffarnagar by changing their names and identities with the help of fake Aadhaar cards.
The Kakaroli police of Muzaffarnagar exposed the names and faces of the cunning gang, according to the Senior Superintendent of Police of Muzaffarnagar, Sanjay Verma.
The gang was busted by the Kakaroli police on Thursday after receiving information that some suspicious individuals had been roaming around in Hindu attire. Acting immediately on the information, the Kakaroli police arrested the accused. A day earlier, another member of the same gang, Ahsan, had already been arrested and sent to jail.
Gang's Deception and Arrest Details
During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused were hiding their real names and addresses and creating fake identities with Hindu names. The police have registered a case against the accused under various sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) and have initiated further legal action. This action by the police has brought relief to the people in the area.
SSP Sanjay Verma, on Thursday, while exposing this large gang of impostors, stated that six people were arrested today by the Kakroli police in Muzaffarnagar, while six are on the run. "On Wednesday, the Kakroli police had also arrested Ehsan, a young man from the same gang, and sent him to jail. He was begging while wearing saffron robes. A case of fraud has also been registered against this gang at the Kakroli police station. The six people arrested today had Hindu names, but upon investigation, they all turned out to be Muslim. All of them are residents of Jola village in the Budhana police station area and were living in rented accommodation in the Mirpur police station area of Muzaffarnagar. So far, seven people have been arrested. Six more are still at large..." he said.
Modus Operandi: Posing as Holy Men
Further, he said that these individuals used to travel from village to village, begging and giving blessings to people who fell for their notorious scam. "These individuals would change their names and identities, wear saffron robes, and travel from village to village, giving blessings to people and women, and begging," he added.
Items Recovered and Staged Rituals
SSP Verma stated that six fake Aadhaar cards, an iron chain used for giving blessings, a sarangi, a damru, a khanjari, a sarangi, a kalava (sacred thread), donation receipts, two tambourines, a peacock feather stick, gems, a brass bracelet, clothes, a gourd-like instrument, 60 agreements, several slips of paper, and something that resembled the sacred ash in a white bag were recovered. In addition, saffron-colored salwar suits, turbans, and two sarees were also found. These people were fully trained and would give blessings and offer solutions to people's domestic problems, just like real sadhus or holy men, he said.
Significant Daily Earnings from the Scam
SSP Verma said that the fraudsters earned up to Rs. 20,000 collectively on a daily basis by posing as the disciples of Guru Gorakhnath. "During police interrogation, they revealed that they had been doing this for seven years. They would present themselves as Yogi Babas or Sadhus, and disciples of Guru Gorakhnath, and beg for money. The gang earned approximately Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,00 daily. Each person would earn at least Rs. 1,500 every day..." he stated.
Sophisticated Manipulation Tactics
The official stated that these individuals were extremely trained in manipulation and used to speak a Sanskrit-mixed language instead of their native one to convince innocent people into giving them "donations." "These individuals were so well-trained that they would abandon their native language and speak a Sanskrit-mixed language, similar to that used by sadhus (holy men), to bless people and beg for money..." he said.
So far, no incidents of theft by this gang have come to light. However, they would take contracts from the general public to provide solutions for domestic problems, charging Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 50,000 for their supposed remedies. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)