Devotees issued fake permits by travel agents appeal to LG Manoj Sinha for facilitating Amarnath pilgrimage

Jammu, July 1 (PTI) Around 300 devotees have been left stranded at the Jammu base camp after they were stopped from proceeding on the Amarnath Yatra due to fake permits issued by their travel agents.

Desperate to continue their pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, these pilgrims have sought assistance from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, urging him to consider their special circumstances and allow them to proceed with the yatra.

“We implore Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and spare us further hardship. We humbly request their facilitation of our pilgrimage to Amarnath,” said Suresh Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh stranded in Jammu due to a fake permit.

Over 430 Amarnath pilgrims were found in possession of fake registration permits in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts on Friday.

Ramesh Arora, a Delhi resident stuck at the Jammu base camp said, “We have been deceived by travel agents in Delhi who provided us with counterfeit permits for the yatra. While they have put us in this difficult situation, the administration is not permitting us to continue our pilgrimage due to the fake documents.”

Over the past two days, these stranded pilgrims, including women and children, have been tirelessly seeking help from the authorities concerned.

The devotees said their appeal for assistance has largely gone unanswered, leading to mounting uncertainty and frustration among them.

Nevertheless, they have refused to leave without paying obeisance to Lord Shiva at Amarnath.

On the lookout for a temporary shelter until they hear from the authorities, hundreds of these pilgrims have taken refuge at the Asaram Bapu ashram near the Jammu base camp.

“We appeal to the government to approach this issue with compassion. We are at a loss both due to fraudulent travel agents and the administration’s refusal to allow us to complete the yatra,” said Susheela, another stranded resident of Delhi awaiting help from the authorities.

Responding to the situation, a senior official said, “Such pilgrims are not at fault. We are committed to facilitating their pilgrimage and are providing them with assistance in terms of accommodation and meals.”

Around 300 fake registration permits for the Amarnath Yatra were detected by the district administration in Jammu along with the police on Friday, the officials said.

Meanwhile, 65 people were found carrying fake registration documents at the Lakhanpur entry point in the Kathua district, while 68 were intercepted with such fake documents in the Samba district.

Jammu Deputy Commissioner Jammu Avny Lavasa said an FIR has already been registered in the matter and a police investigation is underway.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, Shakti Pathak warned of legal action against those involved in duping Amarnath pilgrims by providing fake registration permits.

The 62-day-long annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas began on July 1 and will continue till August 31.