Illegal fare hike :Ayodhya police crack down on bikers’ gang, seize 30 motorcycles
The locals had raised complaints with the district administration regarding the issue. Acting on the complaints, the Ram Janmabhoomi police took swift action.
The Ayodhya police took a decisive action against a bikers’ gang by seizing 30 motorcycles on Monday and Tuesday.
The operation was carried out by Ram Janmabhoomi police station. The bikers were accused of charging exorbitant fares from pilgrims for transportation to the Ram Temple from different pickup points in Ayodhya. Since the Kumbh, a massive influx of pilgrims from across the country have led to an unprecedented crowds in the city, prompting authorities to restrict vehicle entry into Ayodhya town.
Consequently, a bikers’ gang had become active in Ayodhya over the past 10 days, allegedly charging Pilgrims ₹100 per kilometre. These bikers would pick up pilgrims from points outside the Ayodhya town and demand exorbitant fares, ranging from ₹100 to ₹300 per passenger, for transportation to the Ram temple and other sites, stated police.
The locals had raised complaints with the district administration regarding the issue. Acting on the complaints, the Ram Janmabhoomi police took swift action.
According to Ram Janmabhoomi police station in-charge Abhimanyu Shukla, “The bikers were charging pilgrims without authorization, which led to this operation. In the past two days, 30 bikes have been seized, and the crackdown will continue.”
Meanwhile, a woman pilgrim from Maharashtra has filed an FIR in Ayodhya regarding a fraud case related to VIP darshan. Following a dispute, she lodged a complaint at Ayodhya Kotwali. The police have taken this matter seriously and launched an investigation.
According to the police, the complainant, Kavita Shetty, was brought to Ayodhya by an acquaintance named Suresh Acharya, who was not a registered tourist guide. Acharya allegedly charged her ₹1.8 lakh for facilitating her trip from Mumbai to Ayodhya.
However, a dispute arose between Kavita Shetty and Suresh Acharya over the VIP darshan at Ram temple. Kavita alleged that Acharya charged her an exorbitant amount for the VIP darshan at Ram Janmabhoomi. The matter soon came to the attention of the Ayodhya police.
Station house officer (SHO) of Ayodhya Kotwali police station Manoj Sharma said, “Since the dispute originated in Mumbai, we have informed the Mumbai police about the matter.”