Puri Police Crack Down on Fake Temple Servitors: 12 Arrested for Extortion

Police Action Against Impersonators at Shree Jagannath Temple

Puri: On Monday, law enforcement in Puri apprehended 12 individuals accused of extorting money from temple visitors by posing as servitors of the Shree Jagannath Temple.

The suspects, whose ages range from 20 to 51, were caught on Badadanda (Grand Road) and Parikrama Road while deceiving devotees dressed in servitor clothing.

According to police reports, this group had been active for several months, primarily targeting pilgrims from states such as West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

In a statement on X, the Puri Police announced, "We have arrested 12 individuals for extorting devotees by impersonating temple sevayats on Badadanda & Parikrama Road, Puri."

Authorities confiscated 14 mobile devices and ₹20,000 in cash from the impostors.

The police took swift action following complaints from devotees about harassment by certain servitors.

The arrested individuals include Pradeep Kumar Behera (24), Balaram Badapanda (22), Mahima Prasad Baral (27), Manoranjan Sahoo (32), Jagannath Dash (36), Arjun Prusty (33), Jagannath Mishra (27), Maheswar Das (34), Santosh Rout (20), Sonu Das (23), Pradeep Kumar Tripathy (51), and Sagar Rath (23), all hailing from Puri.

They face charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as confirmed by police.