Fake Agent Tarun Shukla from Patiala Deceives Devotees, Cheats Them of Three Lakhs—Patiala Police Registers Case, Assures Swift Arrests :- Advocate Rajinder Pal Anand

March 27, Patiala – Today, Shri Rajinder Pal Anand, former DSP and Advocate, as well as National Senior Vice President of Shri Hindu Takht Kali Mata Mandir, Patiala, issued a statement regarding a fraudulent incident. He revealed that a few days ago, a fake agent named Tarun Shukla from Patiala, along with his accomplices, posted an advertisement on Facebook about organizing a religious pilgrimage to sacred places like Shri Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, and others. The advertisement stated that any devotee wishing to join the pilgrimage could do so by paying ₹7,100. It also promised well-arranged accommodations and high-quality meals for devotees, along with travel in a luxurious 2x2 Volvo bus.Seeing this advertisement, several Hindu families contacted Tarun Shukla and his associates via telephone and paid ₹7,100 per person to join the religious tour. On the night of February 8, 2025, at around 10 PM, Tarun Shukla, along with his accomplices, departed from Shri Hanuman Mandir, Patiala, with a bus full of devotees. The bus, bearing registration number PB 11 DG 2265 and operated by Sandhu Bus Service, was supposed to head towards Shri Ayodhya Dham. However, instead of Ayodhya, he took the devotees to Prayagraj.Upon reaching Prayagraj, the devotees discovered that no arrangements had been made for their stay or meals, contrary to the promises made. Later, he took them to Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, where again, no proper accommodations or food arrangements were provided. As the devotees faced increasing difficulties, they insisted on returning to Patiala. At this point, Tarun Shukla started misbehaving with them. When the devotees, distressed by the situation, lodged a complaint with the local police, Tarun Shukla and his associates fled the scene, taking ₹3 lakh from the devotees and leaving them stranded.Eventually, the stranded devotees managed to arrange their own way back to Patiala in extremely dire conditions, reaching home at around midnight. The affected Hindu devotees demanded action from the Patiala police, stating that Tarun Shukla and his associates had played with their religious sentiments, harassed them, threatened them, and fled with ₹3 lakh. It was also revealed that the accused had not even paid the full amount to the bus owners, defrauding them as well. The devotees insisted that strict legal action be taken against the culprits to prevent such fraudulent agents from deceiving religious Hindus in the future.Following the persistent demands of the victims, the Tripuri Police Station in Patiala conducted an inquiry and subsequently registered an FIR (Case No. 72 dated 25-03-2025) under Sections 318(4), 61(2), and 351(3) against Tarun Shukla (son of Pawan Kumar Shukla), his accomplice Simranjeet Kaur (also known as Alka/Nisha, daughter of Harvinder Singh), and the bus driver Harmit Singh (also known as Happy), all residents of Patiala. The police have initiated an investigation and assured all Hindu devotees that within a week, all accused individuals will be arrested and sent to jail. Strict legal action will be taken against them.