Amarnath Yatra: Over 400 Pilgrims Defrauded With Fake Permits By Travel Agencies, Probe Launched

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has detected fake registration permits of more than 430 pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has detected fake registration permits of more than 430 pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts. ( Image Source :PTI )

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has detected fake registration permits of more than 430 pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts, officials said, as reported by the news agency PTI. They further said that cases have been registered and a probe launched into the matter. According to PTI, 365 people were found carrying fake registration documents in Jammu and Lakhanpur entry points in Kathua district respectively, while 68 were intercepted with such fake documents in Samba district. The pilgrims with fake registrations also include those from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and Delhi who were duped by online travel agents.

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Earlier on Friday, the district administration in Jammu along with the police detected approximately 300 fake registration permits for this year's Amarnath Yatra, the officials said. Jammu Deputy Commissioner Jammu Avny Lavasa said an FIR has already been registered and police investigation is underway. She also advised the pilgrims to register only from the official website of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board or the designated registration counters installed for the purpose.

The Deputy Commissioner further urged the pilgrims to verify their registration permits in order to avoid any kind of inconvenience during the holy yatra. In Kathua district, 65 such permits have been found fake, they said, PTI reported.

The administration in Kathua came to the aid of pilgrims who have been issued fake permits by some travel agency outside the Union Territory, they said. On reaching Lakhanpur entry point on Friday, the credentials of 65 Amarnath Yatris mismatched with the Shri Amarnath ji Shrine Portal during e-KYC verification and issuance of RFID cards, they said.

The Kathua administration enquired about the fraudulent registration details and unmasked the deception to the yatris by some travel agency. The matter was handed over to the police for taking strict action against the fraudsters to thwart such incidents, the officials said.

"Any attempt to engage in fraudulent activities or circumvent the established protocols will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law," a senior officer said, as quoted by PTI. In Samba district, 68 pilgrims on Amarnath Yatra were found carrying fake registration or yatra permits in Samba district, triggering registration of an FIR, they said.

The pilgrims said their fake registration was done by Rahul Bhardwaj, a resident of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, who reportedly took Rs 7,000 per head for the same, they said, as reported by PTI. They further said that a case has been registered and investigation started into it.

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