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Business Standard
06-06-2025
- Business Standard
Ram temple prasad scam: ₹3.85 crore cyber fraud busted, mastermind held
Ayodhya Police have busted one of the biggest cyber scams in the city's history — an online fraud worth ₹3.85 crore, carried out in the name of Ram Lalla's prasad, The New Indian Express reported. Capitalising on the heightened spiritual sentiment following the consecration of Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024, the accused posed as a professor from Northeastern University in Seattle. He created a fake website that promised doorstep delivery of Ram temple prasad, duping lakhs of devotees in India and abroad. The fraud was masterminded by Ashish Singh, a native of Windsor Park, Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, currently residing in the United States. He launched the portal just weeks before the grand consecration. Between December 19, 2023, and January 12, 2024, over 630,000 devotees placed orders through the site. ALSO READ: The fake portal offered 'free delivery' of prasad, Ram temple replicas, and commemorative coins. But users were asked to pay a 'facilitation fee' of ₹51 in India and $11 from overseas. Singh used digital payment gateways including Yes Bank, Paytm, PhonePe, MobiKwik, and IDFC to process transactions. In total, he collected ₹10.49 crore — ₹3.85 crore of which came from prasad orders alone. A criminal case was filed under IPC Section 420, Section 66D of the IT Act, and Section 12(3) of the Passport Act, 1967. Ashish Singh, confident he could manage the situation, returned to India on January 13 and even travelled to Ayodhya — possibly in an attempt to cover his tracks or negotiate. However, he was arrested upon arrival by cybercrime sleuths and later identified as the mastermind behind the scam. Police seized a laptop, two iPhones, ₹13,970 in cash, and various identity and banking documents, including US and Indian ID cards, debit cards, a Washington driving licence, and a health card. According to Ayodhya Police sources, a cyber recovery operation enabled authorities to refund ₹2.15 crore to 372,520 victims. Efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining ₹1.70 crore. Calling it a scam 'built on faith', Ayodhya SSP Gaurav Grover praised the cyber cell for their swift handling of the case. 'The accused exploited people's religious sentiments. However, our team's timely action ensured that faith wasn't betrayed entirely,' he said. In recognition of their efforts, the cyber team received a reward of ₹15,000. Meanwhile, the Ayodhya Police have urged people to stay alert while making online payments, especially those connected to religious offerings. 'This case is a lesson in digital vigilance,' SSP Grover said, adding, 'Faith should never come at the cost of caution.' ALSO READ:
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- The Hindu
Ayodhya police bust ₹3.85 crore ‘prasad' scam carried out during Ram Temple consecration
In an astonishing revelation by the Ayodhya police, a cyber scam worth ₹3.85 crore was unearthed recently, where devotees were manipulated for deception in the name of prasad for Ram Lalla. The kingpin of the fraud named Ashish Singh, a resident of Ghaziabad exploited the spiritual fervour among devotees since January 22, 2024, through a fake website offering Ram Temple prasad delivered to their doorsteps. Mr. Singh, launched a fake portal, just weeks before the 2024 consecration ceremony, collecting orders from more than six lakh domestic and international devotees between December 19, 2023, and January 12, 2024, offering free delivery of prasad, commemorative coins, temple replicas and idols of the Ram temple, charging a facilitation fee from Indian and overseas devotees. Accused arrested Through his website, the accused collected payments via multiple digital gateways, amassing ₹10.49 crore in transactions, with ₹3.85 crore of which was for prasad delivery alone, while the rest came from sales of other items. The issue was flagged by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust authorities, who noticed suspicious online activity. A police case has been registered under various sections related to cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of items, IT act etc. The accused was arrested when he returned from a foreign trip of the United States. Refund The Ayodhya Police successfully refunded ₹2.15 crore to 3,72,520 victims, marking the largest such refund in a cyber fraud case in the State. In recent weeks, the state police intensified efforts to nab cyber fraudsters, with seven interstate accused, who were involved in cyber fraud by creating online IDs through Cricbuzz and Fairplay apps and promising to make customers play games and double their money, have also been arrested in Lucknow.
New Indian Express
05-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Ayodhya police bust Rs 3.85 crore Ram Lalla Prasad scam, mastermind arrested
LUCKNOW: Ayodhya Police busted one of the biggest cyber scams in the history of the temple town involving an online fraud of Rs 3.85 crore carried out in the name of Ram Lalla's prasad. Exploiting the spiritual fervour among devotees following Ram Lalla's consecration on January 22, 2024, the accused, posed as a professor at Northeastern University in Seattle and lured lakhs of devotees through a fake website offering Ram temple prasad delivered to their doorsteps. The scam was orchestrated by Ashish Singh, originally from Windsor Park, Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, and currently residing in the United States. He launched a fake portal, just weeks before the 2024 consecration ceremony, collecting orders from over 6.3 lakh domestic and international devotees between December 19, 2023, and January 12, 2024. Ashish Singh was offering 'free delivery' of prasad, temple replicas, and commemorative coins of the Ram temple. However, he charged a 'facilitation fee' of Rs 51 from Indian users and USD 11 from overseas devotees. Through his website, Singh collected payments via multiple digital gateways, including Yes Bank, Paytm, PhonePe, MobiKwik, and IDFC, amassing Rs 10.49 crore in transactions, with Rs 3.85 crore of which was for prasad delivery alone, while the rest came from sales of other items.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Prasad' scam: Of 3.85cr, .15cr refunded in biggest cyber recovery in UP
Lucknow: In a startling case where devotion was manipulated for deception, Ayodhya Police uncovered a cyber scam in which unsuspecting devotees were duped of Rs 3.85 crore in the name of prasad for Ram Lalla. After the scam was busted, Ayodhya Police successfully refunded Rs 2.15 crore to 3,72,520 victims, marking the largest such refund in a cyber fraud case in Uttar Pradesh. Recovery efforts for the remaining Rs 1.70 crore are still underway. Exploiting the spiritual fervour around the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple on Jan 22, 2024, the accused lured lakhs of devotees through a fake website that promised divine offerings delivered to their doorstep. At the heart of the scam was a man named Ashish Singh, originally from Windsor Park, Indirapuram (Ghaziabad), who currently resides in the United States. Posing as a professor at a university in Seattle, Ashish launched the fraudulent portal just weeks before the temple ceremony. Between Dec 19, 2023, and Jan 12, 2024, he collected orders from over 6.3 lakh devotees, both domestic and international, offering "free delivery" of prasad, temple replicas, and commemorative coins. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo But there was a catch—a "facilitation fee" of Rs 51 from Indian users and $11 from overseas devotees would be charged. Through multiple digital payment gateways, including Yes Bank, Paytm, PhonePe, MobiKwik, IDFC, and others, the website amassed a staggering Rs 10.49 crore in transactions, with Rs 3.85 crore attributed to the prasad delivery scam alone. The remaining was for other non-delivered items. The scam came to light when the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust noticed suspicious online activity and flagged it to the Ayodhya Cyber Crime Unit. A criminal case was promptly registered under IPC Section 420, IT Act Section 66D, and Section 12(3) of the Passport Act, 1967. Ashish, seemingly confident of managing the fallout, returned to India on Jan 13 and travelled to Ayodhya—perhaps to negotiate or cover his tracks. He was arrested on arrival and later presented as the mastermind. The police recovered a laptop, two iPhones, Rs 13,970 in cash, $16, and a slew of identity and banking documents, including US and Indian ID cards, debit cards, a driving licence from Washington, and a health card. "This was a scam built on faith. The accused exploited people's religious sentiments. But our team's timely action ensured that faith wasn't betrayed entirely," said SSP Gaurav Grover.
