Uttarakhand Police have arrested 14 individuals, some of whom are Bangladeshi nationals, as part of "Operation Kalanemi," a statewide crackdown targeting those posing as fake godmen and allegedly involved in cheating and religious conversions. The operation, which began in July, has so far questioned over 5,500 people across the state, leading to preventive action against 1,182 individuals.
The arrests were made under the initiative of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The operation aims to maintain the sanctity of Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods) by cracking down on fraudulent activities. "Operation Kalanemi" is named after a demon from the Ramayana who disguised himself as a sadhu to mislead Lord Hanuman. The government drew inspiration from this story to combat individuals impersonating sadhus to exploit devotees' faith and cheat people, especially women.
In one instance, police arrested a Bangladeshi national, Rukan Rakom alias Shah Alam, who was living in Sahaspur while posing as a saint. He was found to be living in India illegally and did not possess valid documents to prove his nationality. The Bangladesh government confirmed his nationality, and he will be deported after completing all legal formalities. In another case, two Bangladeshi nationals, Mohammad Ujjwal and Mohammad Yusuf, were arrested near the Piran Kaliyar shrine for posing as babas. They were using the names Mohan and Shankar, respectively and were allegedly living illegally in the area under false identities.
The police have been conducting checks in various districts as part of the operation. In Haridwar, 2,704 people were checked, leading to three arrests, while in Dehradun, five arrests followed the questioning of 922 people. Similar drives are underway in Tehri, Pauri, Almora, Nainital, and other districts. Besides, a Bangladeshi citizen who lived in Selaqui for eight years as a Bengali doctor under the name Amit Kumar using forged documents was also arrested. Also, Ifraz Ahmed Lolu from Anantnag, Kashmir, was arrested for allegedly posing as a Delhi-based businessman “Raj Ahuja” to exploit women.
The police operation has led to a large number of arrests. In August 2025, officials reported that over 300 fake 'babas' had been arrested. In one instance, 126 people were arrested for posing as babas near the Piran Kaliyar shrine. Those arrested were from several police station areas, including 18 from Mangalore, 23 from Ganganahar, and 13 from Kaliyar.
