Puri: In a major crackdown on fraudulent activities around the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Police have arrested 11 fake "Yatri Gumastas" (middlemen) over the past five days for allegedly extorting money from devotees on the pretext of facilitating special darshan of Lord Jagannath.

Acting on credible information that some individuals were forcibly collecting money from pilgrims and devotees near the temple premises, Puri Police launched a special operation around the shrine. The crackdown was carried out by the Singhadwar Police Station with the aim of ensuring hassle-free darshan for devotees and curbing the activities of unauthorized middlemen.

According to police, five fake middlemen were arrested during a raid conducted on Friday, while three others were apprehended on June 19. The remaining arrests were made during the ongoing operation over the last five days.

The accused allegedly lured devotees with false promises of facilitating special or quick darshan of Lord Jagannath and then extorted money from them. Police also seized cash collected from devotees and other materials during the operation.

The arrested persons have been identified as Shankar Biswal, Arun Patra, Bhimasen Patra, Babuni Mahapatra, Sarbeswar Rout, Ranjit Samantaray, Bikram Pradhan, Ajay Kumar Jena and Umakant Padhi, among others.

During the raids, police seized Rs 2,620 in cash and three mobile phones from the accused.

Addressing a press conference, Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh said police had received complaints that certain individuals were demanding money from devotees in exchange for arranging darshan inside the temple.

"Based on complaints received at Singhadwar Police Station and through the City DSP, police personnel were deployed in civil dress around the temple to identify the middlemen. CCTV footage was also examined, leading to the registration of cases on June 18 and June 19 and the subsequent arrests," Singh said.

Puri SP warns against paying money for Jagannath Temple darshan

He emphasized that darshan at the Shree Jagannath Temple is completely free and urged devotees not to fall prey to such fraudsters.

"There is no requirement to pay any money for darshan. Whether a government employee or a private individual is found involved in such activities, strict action will be taken against them," the SP warned.

Police said the investigation is ongoing to determine the accused persons' criminal backgrounds and uncover the extent of the alleged cheating network.

The crackdown comes as part of efforts to ensure a safe and transparent pilgrimage experience for devotees visiting the world-famous Jagannath Temple in Puri.