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Bihar man arrested in UP for posing as Hindu priest under fake identity
The matter came to light when some villagers caught the man allegedly taking money from the donation box and alerted the police.
A man who allegedly posed as a Hindu priest under a false identity and deceived locals here for nearly a year was sent to jail on Thursday, police said.
They said the accused, identified as 39-year-old Qasim, was originally a resident of Koili Raipur village in Bihar's Sitamarhi district.
He had been living at a Shiva temple in Dadri village, under Daurala police station limits, claiming to be "Krishna, son of Santarpal."
According to officials, the man had been conducting rituals and residing in the temple for almost a year under this fake identity. He had left the temple ahead of the annual Kanwar Yatra but returned on Saavan Shivratri.
The matter came to light when some villagers caught him allegedly taking money from the donation box and alerted the police.
The police detained him on Wednesday and during questioning, the man failed to produce any valid identity documents. Further investigation revealed that he had previously stayed at a Kali temple near a cremation ground in Khatauli, from where religious texts and a mobile phone were recovered.
The man was booked under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including for identity fraud and actions likely to offend religious sentiments. He was produced before a magistrate on Thursday, and sent to jail, the police said.
