At Kedarnath, Badrinath, police launch probe into boards bearing QR codes for donations

A number of boards displaying QR codes seeking donations from devotees have suddenly come up outside the gates of Kedarnath and Badrinath, without the knowledge or the permission of shrine authorities, officials said on Tuesday.

The local police have been informed and they have lodged cases under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code against unidentified persons at the Badrinath police station and Kedarnath police outpost for putting up the QR code boards just outside the shrines in an attempt at cheating tourists.

Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Pramendra Dobhal said, the police had launched an investigation and efforts were being made to catch the culprits.

Chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, Ajendra Ajay, said the cases were registered on the basis of several complaints. The boards were removed on April 25 and 27, the day Kedarnath and Badrinath, respectively, opened for devotees, he said.

The QR codes were put up without the committee’s permission and were removed immediately after it was brought to its notice on the day the temples opened for the summer season.

The temple committee does not use the Unified Payments Interface mode for financial transactions, Ajay said.

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