5 arrested for allegedly misbehaving with pilgrims, extorting money near Kashi Vishwanath temple

VARANASI: 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.

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.

श्री काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर के आस-पास पर्यटकों/श्रद्धालुओं से दुर्व्यवहार व अनावश्यक धनलाभ अर्जित करने वाले 05 व्यक्तियों को थाना चौक पुलिस द्वारा गिरफ्तार किया गया#UPPolice #PoliceCommissionerateVaranasi #DCP_Kashi_Vns pic.twitter.com/xDeITlQ27s

— DCP Kashi (@VnsDcp) August 19, 2026

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

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)