Shameful Exploitation Near Sacred Grounds: 21 Arrested for Extorting Devotees at Kashi Vishwanath Temple

VARANASI – In a damning exposure of malpractice at one of India’s holiest sites, police have arrested 21 individuals involved in a disgraceful racket of extorting money from unsuspecting devotees near the revered Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

These so-called “facilitators” — local swindlers operating under the garb of temple aides — were caught red-handed demanding bribes from pilgrims in exchange for “quick and easy” access to darshan and puja.

Additional Commissioner of Police, Atul Anjan Tripathi, confirmed that the arrests were made following several complaints from pilgrims.

“We had been receiving consistent reports about individuals demanding money from devotees for sugam darshan (priority access). A team of officers was formed, and over the past two days, 21 people have been arrested,” Tripathi stated.

What should have been a sacred spiritual experience for thousands has instead turned into a profitable enterprise for a few unscrupulous elements — a brazen affront to the holiness of the temple and the faith of those who travel from across the country to seek divine blessings.

The sanctity of temples like Kashi Vishwanath rests not just in rituals and structures, but in the trust and devotion of millions. That trust has been shamefully violated by those who were either complicit in or turned a blind eye to these ongoing acts of extortion.

Despite a clear protocol for darshan, where devotees can either queue patiently or buy legitimate tickets through the temple’s authorized channels, reports suggest that such swindlers have become more aggressive since the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in 2021, exploiting the surge in footfall.

Locals familiar with the temple dynamics allege the involvement of rival factions of pandas (temple priests and aides) in this power play.

“It’s an open secret — different groups operate in competition, using their aides to pull devotees out of lines and promise faster darshan in exchange for bribes. Recently, one group had gotten more dominant,” said a puja item shopkeeper near the temple.

In a telling accusation, the shopkeeper claimed that the police crackdown, while necessary, seemed to have targeted only one side, effectively clearing the field for the other groups to continue their exploitation unchecked.

It’s a shameful indictment of the very people and systems that are meant to uphold the dignity of these spiritual spaces. Where are the temple authorities when such exploitation thrives at their doorstep?

Where is the accountability of those responsible for preserving the sanctity and integrity of the temple experience?

According to police sources, the arrested individuals were charging between ₹500 and ₹2,000 from each devotee,metimes fulfilling the promised access, but often simply disappearing after pocketing the money.

Many of those caught hail from nearby districts, including Varanasi, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Chandauli, and Ghazipur.

ACP Tripathi reaffirmed the department’s commitment: “We took action strictly based on devotee complaints. We are maintaining heightened vigilance to ensure that such unethical practices are rooted out entirely.”

Yet the larger question remains — how long will places of worship continue to be turned into marketplaces for greed and deceit?

The burden is now on both law enforcement and temple management to act decisively and transparently. Religious places must be safe havens of devotion, not dens of manipulation.

Faith deserves better. Devotees deserve better. And most importantly, the divine sanctity of spaces like Kashi Vishwanath deserves far more respect than what has been allowed to unfold in its shadow.