GOPESHWAR: A teenager from Bihar has been arrested for allegedly duping pilgrims of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of booking helicopter tickets online for them for the Badrinath temple through fake websites.
Vibhishan Mahato, 19, was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by one of his victims from Uttar Pradesh, Ambarish Kumar, who had been cheated of Rs 24,590 by him, police said.
A resident of Navada in Bihar, Mahato was brought on transit remand to Chamoli on Wednesday where he will be produced in a court, Chamoli Superintendent of Police Shweta Choubey said.
The bank accounts used by the accused for the fraud have been seized, she said.
Two mobile phones, five SIM cards and Rs 42,000 in cash have also been recovered from Mahato, the SP said.
Mahato has admitted that he cheated pilgrims from all over the country wanting to go to Badrinath of Rs 15-20 lakh in the name of booking helicopter tickets online for them for the Himalayan shrine, Choubey said.
The fake websites for the bookings were created with the help of an engineer from Telangana, she said.