REASI: Reasi Police claimed to have busted a gang involved in selling fake helicopter tickets to Shri Vaishno Devi pilgrims and duping them with the arrest of three accused from Bihar, besides police also blocked 40 fake websites which were involved in selling of fake helicopter tickets to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims. Sharing details Sr Superintendent of Police (SSP) Reasi Amit Gupta said, “On the basis of complaints regarding fake online helicopter ticket booking fraud for Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage following which police have registered three separate FIRs viz 05/2022, 63/2022 and 67/2022 at Police Station Katra.” “After registration of the instant cases, special teams were framed under the supervision of Amit Bhasin, Superintendent of Police SP) Katra and were dispatched to various parts of the country for arrest of the accused persons involved in the commission of crime.” SSP Reasi added that a team headed by Kuljeet Singh, SDPO Katra, after hectic investigation zeroed on some places in Bihar State and subsequently raided at various locations. “After sustained efforts, the team succeeded in nabbing three fraudsters from Bhadurpur area in District Khagaria Bihar.” “These fraudsters have been identified as Ashok Mistri R/O W.No.13 Shumbha Bihar, Santosh Kumar R/O Shumbha Khagaria and Lakhpati Paswan R/O Sumbha Gaji Ghat, Khagaria, senior police officer said, adding, “police also seized incriminating material from their possession.” “All accused were brought to Katra after obtaining transit remand from competent court.”“Moreover, during the investigation of instant cases, 40 fake websites were identified and got blocked, which were involved in selling of fake helicopter tickets to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims,” said SSP Reasi Gupta. SSP Reasi Gupta advised all the pilgrims to use only the official website of the SMVD Shrine Board for booking services such as helicopter tickets and not to fall prey to the fraudulent advertisements issued by unauthorized websites offering confirmed Helicopter tickets, sale of Prasad etc. Previous month i.e. on March 18, the Cyber Police Jammu with the assistance of Rajasthan Police has busted a gang of fraudsters offering fake online helicopter tickets to Mata Vaishno Devi ji pilgrims through fake websites created and floated by these fraudsters on Google with arrest of four fraudsters, including Kingpin who have duped people of lakhs
