Touts sell darshan slots at Siddhivinayak: Cops file case, seize 13 phones

People wait outside Siddhivinayak Temple. File pic

Following mid-day's report on the black marketing of QR codes for darshan at Siddhivinayak Temple, Dadar police have started an investigation. A police team visited the temple and checked the mobile phones of shopkeepers and others working near the temple and found that 13 of them had used their phones to download QR codes many times. Cops have seized the phones for further investigation and approached the temple authorities, following which a case was registered in the matter.

In view of the COVID-19 guidelines and to avoid crowding, devotees can only visit the Siddhivinayak temple after booking slots online for free. Once a slot is booked using the temple's app, devotees get a QR code, which needs to be shown at the entrance of the temple to go inside.

However, some people are not aware of this and visit the temple directly. Taking advantage of this, touts download and keep QR codes and sell these to devotees for up to Rs 1,500.

Zone 5 DCP Pranay Ashok confirmed that 13 mobile phones have been confiscated. "We are checking the footage near the entrance of Siddhivinayak Temple to see who sold QR codes to the visitors," he told mid-day, adding "Following the complaint received from the authorities of Siddhivinayak Temple, Dadar Police registered a case under Sections 420, 419 and other relevant sections of the IPC. Further investigation is on."

Aadesh Bandekar, chairman of Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, told mid-day, "We are against such people [touts] due to which the Trust has lodged a complaint with the police. People involved in black marketing book the QR code in advance, due to which common people are deprived of darshan."

He added, "We appeal to the people that if anyone does black marketing of QR codes, please inform the police or the trust. Action will be taken against such people."