Within days after Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) lodged a written complaint regarding the booking of fake helicopter tickets by some cheaters, Cyber Police Jammu with the assistance of Rajasthan Police busted a gang of fraudsters and arrested four persons including the kingpin.

This gang was offering fake online to and fro helicopter tickets to pilgrims of Mata Vaishno Devi by creating fake websites. During the raid, the Cyber Police Jammu team succeeded in nabbing four fraudsters including the kingpin.

Cyber Police Jammu after receiving a cyber fraud complaint from SMVDSB immediately lodges FIR and started the investigation.

During the course of the investigation of the case, the technical team of Cyber Police State obtained information from the domain providers GoDaddy about these fake websites of Mata Vaishno shrine. Based on the analysis of IP, domain registration details as well as other details of around 40 such fake websites, the technical team zeroed in the common IP user and find out the whereabouts of these fraudsters and also found these fraudsters were operating from Kota Rajasthan.

cyber cell
cyber cell of J&K Police

A special team was constituted to nab cheater

Based on the proceedings, a team of three Inspectors namely Inspector Vikram Sharma, Inspector Javid, and Inspector Gagandeep Singh along with the official was constituted by, SP Cyber Jammu Naresh Singh and sent them to Rajasthan to arrest these fraudsters.

The police team with the cooperation of Rajasthan Police succeeded in arresting four fraudsters along with the kingpin involved in creating these fake websites. These fraudsters were identified as Sunil Chawla, Deepak Gajanand, and Monu Pankaj, all residents of Kota Rajasthan.

The Police team also seized incriminating material from them and after obtaining transit remand brought them to Jammu for further investigation into the case of the fake ticket.

Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims, beware: Helicopter booking scam fleecing devotees; probe underway

SMVDSB cautioned pilgrims against fake helicopter booking scam

After getting information about the fraud, Ramesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SMVDSB has lodged a written complaint with the Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police on March 4.

The CEO informed that the complaint regarding fleecing of pilgrims by these fraudulent elements was filed with the Crime Branch and Cyber Branch of J&K Police who are investigating the matter.

The CEO had informed and appealed to the pilgrims at large that the sale of helicopter tickets for pilgrims travelling from Katra to Sanjichhat and back is the sole prerogative of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the SMVDSB has not authorized any agent, agency, or person to use the Shrine Board's name to sell or undertake online bookings for any services, which are being provided by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Katra.