Uttarakhand police arrest fraudster and launch traffic crackdown during Kedarnath pilgrimage

Uttarakhand police arrested a 31‑year‑old Himachal resident who posed as an IRCTC agent and collected Rs 3,000 from each of ten pilgrims, fraudulently promising VIP darshan at Kedarnath Temple. The suspect was detained on June 8, Rs 5,000 was recovered, and he was remanded to judicial custody while investigators pursue additional accomplices.

Simultaneously, the state transport department initiated a special enforcement drive on the Char Dham Yatra routes through Uttarakhand, running until June 15. Teams equipped with speed radar guns and alcometers are checking for overspeeding, drunken driving, rash driving, overloading and illegal use of private buses, particularly at choke points such as the Nepali Farm intersection. Checkpoints have been set up along major stretches including Premnagar‑Ashram, Haridwar‑Doiwala, and the Yamuna Bridge corridor, with daily reporting required from enforcement officers.