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Operation Kalnemi: 118 fake 'babas' busted in Uttarakhand

Operation Kalnemi: 118 fake 'babas' busted in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: In a massive statewide crackdown dubbed 'Operation Kalnemi', Uttarakhand Police have arrested 118 fraudulent spiritual healers and mendicants across the state within the last 24 hours.
According to the police, the widespread campaign targets individuals posing as 'Peer-Fakirs' who are exploiting unsuspecting citizens. As part of the ongoing drive, 66 suspicious individuals were specifically detained in Udham Singh Nagar on Saturday alone.
Police confirmed that those arrested were found to possess criminal tendencies, preying on the vulnerable. They stand accused of misleading innocent citizens and subjecting them to mental, physical, and financial exploitation.
"We are committed to rooting out these fraudsters who exploit the faith of innocent people," Senior Superintendent of Police in Udham Singh Nagar, Manikant Mishra told TNIE, adding, "This operation aims to protect our citizens from financial and emotional ruin at the hands of these charlatans."
In a continuing crackdown on fraudulent spiritualists, Dehradun Police on Saturday arrested 23 more individuals posing as 'holy men' or 'babas' from various police station areas across the city. This marks the second consecutive day of the concerted effort, which saw 25 similar arrests made on Friday.
Of the 23 arrested on Saturday, 10 were identified as hailing from other states, indicating a wider network of alleged fraudsters.
"Police are actively arresting individuals who, disguised as sadhus and saints, lure and defraud women and youth by promising solutions to their domestic problems," SSP Ajay Singh stated.
Meanwhile, Hindu religious groups welcome Uttarakhand Govt's 'Operation Kalanemi' targeting fake seers.
Uttarakhand's ongoing campaign against fraudulent spiritual leaders, often referred to as 'dhongi babas' or fake gurus, has been given a striking name: 'Operation Kalnemi'. The name is directly linked to Kalnemi, a powerful Asura (demon) from Hindu mythology
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