Operation Kalanemi: Bangladeshi nationals among 14 'fake babas' arrested in Uttarakhand

NEW DELHI: Fourteen people have been arrested so far under ‘Operation Kalanemi’, Uttarakhand government’s initiative targeting fake ‘babas’ allegedly involved in cheating and religious conversion, officials said.Inspector general of police (Crime and Law and Order) Nilesh Anand Bharane told a press conference that under ‘Operation Kalanemi’, over 5,500 people have been questioned across Uttarakhand, with preventive action taken against 1,182 individuals.So far, 14 people have been arrested, including some Bangladeshi nationals, police said.The operation, which began in July, had already seen 300 arrests in August after questioning 4,000 people across the state.Bharane described the operation as highly successful, noting the large number of people questioned under it.In specific districts, Haridwar saw 2,704 people checked, resulting in three arrests, while Dehradun had 922 people checked, with five arrested.Action has also been taken in Tehri, Pauri, Almora, Nainital, and other districts, he added. Bharne said the campaign aims to retain the "sacred image of Devbhoomi".

The officer said one of the people arrested under the operation was a Bangladeshi citizen who had been living in Selaqui for the past eight years as a Bengali doctor, Amit Kumar, using fake documents.Another individual, Ifraz Ahmed Lolu from Anantnag in Kashmir, was arrested in Selaqui for misleading women by hiding his religion and posing as a wealthy Delhi resident named Raj Ahuja, the officer added.Operation Kalanemi is named after Kalanemi, the demon son of Ravana’s uncle Maricha. In both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Kalanemi disguised himself as a sadhu to stop Lord Hanuman from obtaining the Sanjeevani Booti. He was later reborn as Kansa, the uncle of Lord Krishna in the Mahabharata.(With inputs from agency)