Bangladeshi man among those arrested, being questioned
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Police arrested 25 men from several areas of Dehradun on Friday for posing as ascetics to allegedly exploit faith for financial gain. This action was taken as part of Operation Kalnemi ordered by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The drive aims to identify and take action against those who mislead the public by disguising themselves as ascetics to commit fraud, the Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh said.
As part of the operation, the SSP personally inspected several areas and questioned people dressed as ascetics. During one such inspection in the Nehru Colony area, those sitting by the roadside dressed like ascetics reportedly failed to provide satisfactory answers about their occupation. They also failed to produce any relevant documents related to astrology or spiritual practice. Following this, the police took them into custody under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Singh informed that a Bangladeshi national, identified as Rukan Rakam alias Shah Alam, resident of Dhaka was also arrested.
A case under the Foreigners Act has been registered against him at Sahaspur police station. “Teams from Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) are currently questioning him. The remaining 24 accused include individuals from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Assam and other states,” he said.
The SSP has directed all police stations incharges in the district to identify people who pose as ascetics or spiritual advisors, especially those who mislead women and young people by offering false solutions to personal or domestic problems. These individuals, often found sitting along roadsides, attempt to exploit faith to scam people in various ways, especially for financial frauds. All officials concerned have been instructed to ensure legal action against offenders without delay, Singh said.
