Dehradun:
Uttarakhand Police have caught and turned back 18 pilgrims trying to undertake the Char Dham Yatra with fake passes, authorities said on Tuesday, rekindling memories of mass fake Covid-19 tests during the Kumbh Mela earlier this year that undermined efforts to control the spread of the pandemic.
Police said the 18 people were caught on Monday at a check post at Sonprayag in Rudraprayag district, some 24 km from Kedarnath, one of the four shrines of Hinduism. The other three are Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The pilgrimage began on Saturday under strict Covid-19 restrictions, with some 42,000 people issued mandatory e-passes.
The 18 people were carrying e-passes that were discovered to be fake after the authorities didn’t find their names in the list of people accredited by the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board, Rudraprayag superintendent of police Ayush Agrawal said.
“The 18 people who had come from neighbouring states were caught at Sonprayag, where the pilgrimage to Kedarnath actually starts.It was the first such incident since the yatra started on Saturday,” he said.
The pilgrims told police that they obtained the e-passes from a cyber cafe in their neighbouring areas. “They claimed they didn’t know that the e-passes were fake,” said Agrawal.
{{/usCountry}}The pilgrims told police that they obtained the e-passes from a cyber cafe in their neighbouring areas. “They claimed they didn’t know that the e-passes were fake,” said Agrawal.
{{/usCountry}}The district top cop said police turned them back and issued directions to personnel at all six barriers in Rudraprayag to thoroughly check all required documents of the pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath.
“After Monday’s incident, the administration has become more alert in the backdrop of the alleged Covid-19 test scam in Haridwar Mahakumbh,” a police officer privy to developments said.
Some 100,000 fake rapid tests allegedly conducted during the Kumbh Mela in April-May sparked widespread criticism of the state administration. At the time, the Uttarakhandhigh court came down heavily on the government.
“We don’t want to take any risk during the Char Dham Yatra. After Monday’s incident, police have increased the vigil to catch anyone trying to take the yatra with fake or forged documents,” said the officer, requesting anonymity.
The government will “strictly implement the standard operating procedure (SOP) on Char Dham Yatra”, said Satpal Maharaj, Uttarakhand’s minister of religious affairs and culture.
“We are happy that the yatra has started after the high court allowed it, though with certain conditions. However, at the same time, we will not leave any stone unturned to ensure that the SOP (standard operating procedure) is strictly implemented amid the ongoing pandemic,” said Maharaj. “Only those having the required documents will be allowed to visit the shrines.”
The Char Dham Yatra, which attracts about 40 lakh pilgrims annually, was put on hold by the Uttarakhand high court on June 28, citing Covid concerns. The pilgrimage was given the go-ahead on September 16 but with several restrictions
On September 17, the government issued the SOP for Char Dham Yatra, saying people will need to carry negative Covid reports issued not more than 72 hours earlier, or double vaccination certificate issued at least 15 days earlier, register on the state government portal and get an e-pass from the website of the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board .
Pilgrims within the state are only exempted from online portal registration with remaining conditions applicable on them too.
Pilgrims from Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh were required to carry negative Covid-19 reports even if they were fully vaccinated.
The daily limit of pilgrims visiting the shrines is 1,000 in Badrinath, 800 in Kedarnath, 600 in Gangotri and 400 in Yamunotri. The Char Dham shrines and their surrounding areas will be sanitised thrice a day, the government has announced.
The Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board has so far issued over 42,000 e-passes. According to board officials, 1,717 people visited Kedarnath, 2,429 visited Badrinath, 833 visited Gangotri and 402 visited Yamunotri shrine till Monday.