Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 15 : Uttarakhand Police have questioned 1,250 suspects amid a continuous verification drive under Operation Kalanemi, launched to nab fraudulent religious leaders, a police official said.
Inspector General of Uttarakhand, Nilesh Anand Bharne, told ANI, "Uttarakhand Police is conducting a continuous verification drive to interrogate the suspects. The police have questioned 1,250 suspects."
The police official said that Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched Operation Kalanemi to maintain the religious and cultural sanctity of the state.
"To maintain the religious and cultural sanctity in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed that the police should run the Operation Kalanemi," IG Bharne said.
He added that all police officials at the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) levels have been instructed to identify miscreants posing as Kanwariyas.
"Along with this, the suspects should be identified, and all the SPs and SSPs have been directed to identify such suspects who mislead the people in the guise of Kanwariyas. These anti-social elements cannot pose a threat, and no one can disturb such communal harmony," he told ANI.
On Sunday, Uttarakhand Police arrested 34 individuals posing as saints and sages during coordinated raids under Operation Kalanemi across various police station areas in Dehradun.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said that all those arrested were masquerading as spiritual figures but were found to be engaging in deceptive practices.
He said, "Under Operation Kalanemi, today, while taking action in various police station areas, police have arrested 34 fake babas roaming around in the guise of saints and sages, against whom legal action is being taken. Among the arrested fake babas, 23 are residents of other states."
Operation Kalanemi was launched on July 10 as CM Pushkar Singh Dhami gave strict instructions to officials to crack down on impersonators who cheat people and exploit their sentiments in the name of Sanatan Dharma in Uttarakhand.