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Varanasi: 5 arrested for extorting pilgrims at Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Rahul Kumar | August 20, 2026 10:24 AM CST

Five people were arrested by Chowk Police in Varanasi for allegedly extorting money from pilgrims at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The group promised 'easy darshan' in exchange for money and were caught based on CCTV footage and informant tips.

Five people were arrested for allegedly misbehaving with pilgrims and tourists and extorting money from them on the pretext of arranging easy darshan at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, police said.

Police Action and Arrests

The arrests were made by the Chowk Police on August 19 near Gate No. 4 of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple based on CCTV footage and information from a local informant.

According to police, the accused allegedly approached pilgrims and visitors in the name of facilitating easy darshan at the temple and extorted money from them.

The action was carried out as part of the ongoing campaign launched by the Commissioner of Police, Varanasi, against crime and wanted and absconding accused.

Police said the accused were arrested under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and further legal proceedings are underway.

Accused Identified

The arrested accused have been identified as Lal Babu Pandey (35) of Deoria, Bihar; Ashish Pandey (24) of Lahartara, Varanasi; Dilip Pandey (44) of Sujabad, Varanasi; Yash Dubey (20) of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh; and Sushil Kumar Das (21) of Darbhanga, Bihar.

The arrests were made near Gate No. 4 of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the Chowk area on August 19. (ANI)

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