Since the completion of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham in the holy city of Kashi, millions of devotees have been arriving for darshan and worship, and many of these devotees and tourists fall prey to touts and fake guides.
On Friday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Atul Anjan Tripathi said that warning boards and hoardings have been installed in the Chowk police station area, on the Dashashwamedh Ghat road, the Godaulia to Vishwanath Temple road, and several other important locations.
Similar boards and hoardings have also been placed near Gate Number Four of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham. These boards display helpline numbers for contacting the police in case of an emergency. The actual distance from the ghat to the temple is also mentioned.
The boards clearly warn that anyone demanding money for services such as transportation to the ghat, facilitating darshan at the temple, or providing special parking arrangements may be a tout.
Touts often trap devotees by promising “VIP darshan” and extorting money from them. If any devotee or tourist experiences suspicious behavior or an unpleasant incident, they can immediately register a complaint at the numbers: 9454404348, 9454401636, 7839699752.
Dr Tripathi said that after several such incidents came to light, the police took action and arrested several accused. Continuous surveillance is also being conducted through CCTV cameras at important locations.